I'm a National Geographic Certified Educator creating and sharing resources for teaching kids about world geography and cultures. Join our adventure!
Go Global in January
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Fortune Cookies For Everyone! Book Review, New Year Celebrations Around the World, World Braille Day, MLK Day of Service, Great Kindness Challenge, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Read Your World Day, Global Learning Opportunities, Recommended Reading As we step into a brand-new year, I want to say thank you. Thank you for being part of our Go Global community - for your commitment to students and your belief that learning about the world truly matters. Looking back, I’m grateful for the classrooms, homes, and learning spaces where global stories, traditions, and perspectives came alive. Each small moment of connection - whether through a book, a project, a map, a game, or a meaningful conversation - helped students see beyond themselves and build empathy for others. As we move into 2026, our purpose remains clear: to help children grow into curious, compassionate global citizens. This year, I’m excited to continue creating and sharing resources that make world geography and cultures engaging, accessible, and joyful - while supporting educators and families every step of the way. Here’s to another year of exploring the world together, one lesson at a time. 🌍 💟 Founder & CEO, Globe Trottin' Kids New Year Celebrations Around the World In many places around the globe, the new year starts on January 1. But not everywhere! Chinese New Year is celebrated in January or February. Iranians observe Nowruz in March. For Thai people, Songkran occurs in April. Ethiopians greet the new year at Enkutatash in September. Every Month is a New Year is a poetry collection that highlights sixteen of these fascinating festivities, some well-known and some less familiar.
Browse more picture books about New Year Celebrations Around the World. January 4 World Braille Day World Braille Day marks the birthday of Louis Braille (1809-1852), the French inventor of the reading and writing code for the blind. There are Braille codes for virtually every written language in the world, so that blind people everywhere can become literate and acquire the opportunities that literacy brings. Online Quick Read: Who Invented the Braille System? January 19 MLK Day of Service honors the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. It’s a day that encourages everyone to turn his message of kindness, fairness, and helping others into action. For elementary students, the focus is on simple ways they can make a positive difference in their classroom, school, or community. Browse 20 Service Ideas to get inspired! January 26 - 30 Great Kindness Challenge One Week. One Checklist. Empower your students to create a culture of kindness. Grab info and resources here. January 27 International Holocaust Remembrance Day is a time to remember the millions of people - especially Jewish families -who were harmed or killed during the Holocaust in World War II. For elementary students, learning about this day focuses on kindness, fairness, and standing up for others. It helps children understand why treating people with respect matters and how caring choices can make the world a safer, more inclusive place. *We're looking for age-appropriate resources for the elementary classroom. Please reach out to us with your suggestions. January 29 Read Your World Day (formerly Multicultural Children's Book Day) We're proud co-hosts of this annual event that promotes diversity in children's literature and donates books to classrooms and libraries. The celebration features book reviews, teaching ideas, giveaways, important conversations, and more. Get all the event details here, and read some of our past reviews. This year, we are excited to be reviewing two picture books:
Our reviews, along with hundreds of others, will be live in the Big Giant Linky on January 29. Be sure to check it out and discover diverse books to share with your students! #ReadYourWorld Global Learning Opportunities & Recommended ReadingTell Us About Your Country Invite students to complete our questionnaire and view responses (new page!) from children across the globe. We've had a great response to the questionnaire on our website - with children from Taiwan, Canada, Turkey, South Africa and more sharing details about their country. Their answers are being loaded onto a separate page for students to learn how kids their age live, what they eat, how they celebrate, and what makes their countries unique - while also noticing how much they have in common. This simple activity builds curiosity, empathy, and respect, brings geography to life, and gives students meaningful reasons to read, write, and talk about the world. Just as importantly, it helps students feel proud of who they are and see themselves as part of a connected global community. PenPal Schools is launching a brand-new way for students to connect globally. Instead of only written exchanges, students will now connect through recorded video responses (not live chat). Think the community magic of Flipgrid, rebuilt for global multi-class collaboration. Here's how it works:
Learn more, and join for free. National Geographic Explorer Classroom Storytelling Series is an interactive, multi-week program consisting of five Explorer Classroom events and accompanying “mission” activities designed for students to explore the power of storytelling and connect to the important stories in their own communities! Participate in all events and missions or create your own custom classroom adventure! Learn more and register your classroom. Global Learning Fellowship Through the NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellowship, public school educators develop the knowledge and skills to integrate global competency into their daily classroom instruction, advocate for global competency in their schools and districts, and help students to thrive in our increasingly interconnected world. Fellows transform their classrooms to give students a global perspective. In 2026, fellows will be visiting South Africa! The 10 Most Significant Education Studies of 2025 - from the power of brain breaks to groundbreaking research on AI, cell phones, and handwriting in the classroom. (Edutopia)
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Globe Trottin' Kids
I'm a National Geographic Certified Educator creating and sharing resources for teaching kids about world geography and cultures. Join our adventure!
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