Global competence starts here at home

As global influences increasingly shape our local lives in Acton, our town and schools have a responsibility to prepare students for ethical, compassionate engagement across diverse international and local cultures and communities. The CCHS Global Competence Certificate offers a strong model for how this preparation can happen through experiential learning.

The Global Competence Certificate recognizes students who commit to immersive language study, cross-cultural engagement, service, and reflection. This pathway emphasizes cross-cultural learning and civic responsibility. A year of cultural immersion in Malaysia and a summer in Uruguay taught me that meaningful global engagement requires careful listening and deep respect for local culture. These experiences reshaped my view of leadership and reinforced the responsibility that comes with engaging in diverse environments and cultural activities. 

Global exchange programs matter because they promote this kind of learning within education. They help students develop the skills needed to navigate difference, build trust, and engage thoughtfully in a complex world, while strengthening the shared values of their local communities. Expanding and promoting such programs should be a priority here in Acton and for schools nationwide. Preparing students for global engagement teaches them to represent their communities with care and integrity, and to bring what they learn back home with purpose, responsibility, and hope.

Some ways we can all help are to support local programs and broaden relationships by serving as host families for visitors from exchange programs like American Field Service (AFS), as well as for shorter exchanges sponsored by Acton-Carlisle High School and the Acton Nanae Network. I encourage all of us to seek ways to support CCHS in its efforts to build both local and global cross-cultural competence.

Laiya Maria Pavlov

Hillcrest Road

Acton-Carlisle High School Class of 2026