Educator Testimonials

Educator Survey Highlights

Every year, Facing the Future surveys thousands of educators to find out what happens when they use Facing the Future resources with their students. The following represents five years of data collection from teachers and students.

Survey respondents

• 64% are public school teachers (8% of whom teach at public charter schools), 16% independent school teachers, 9% post-secondary educators, and 11% nonformal educators
• 60% teach high school; 38% middle school; 17% undergraduate/graduate; 12% elementary school
• Subjects include social studies, science, global issues, environmental science, economics, history, language arts, world languages, English as a Second Language (ESL), math, and technology

What survey respondents say...

• 86% observe an increase in student engagement when using Facing the Future resources in their classroom
• 93% say Facing the Future resources help increase their students’ critical thinking skills
• 91% say they have increased their own knowledge of global issues through Facing the Future resources (website, books, workshops, inservices, etc.)
• 91% feel more confident about teaching global issues because of the resources Facing the Future provides
• 80% say their experience with Facing the Future resources has improved their teaching
• 78% say their experience with Facing the Future resources has increased their capacity to involve students in positive action and/or service learning around global issues
• 99% of respondents rate Facing the Future resources as “excellent” or “good
• 94% find Facing the Future resources easy to use

Read more about the impact of Facing the Future's curriculum resources on students.

Educator Quotes

Ultimately Facing the Future’s work is about students and the effect our curriculum resources and programs have on their learning. The words of teachers who have used Facing the Future materials capture that impact in a personal and provocative way.

What educators have to say... 

“While there are many resources available to help our students move toward action and become stewards for our Earth, I have found that Facing the Future's curriculum and resources are the most current and relevant. They are easy to use and adapt to our current curriculum requirements.” 

- High School Science Teacher, Springfield, MA 

 

“What I like most about Facing the Future resources is their relevance to students lives and interests, the focus on both problems AND solutions, and the emphasis on critical thinking skills.” 

- Middle School Social Studies Teacher, Seattle, WA 

 

“The role plays related to resources engage students on an emotional level in a way that is later reflected through their ability to achieve more academically. Students in special education and students who had been low performing in the class performed as well as higher performing peers after using the modules, thanks to connections that were made in the hands-on simulations. Because of this curriculum, students were engaged and became interested in the world beyond our classroom and country.” 

- Middle School Science Teacher, Davis, CA 

 

“My students loved every lesson we covered from Facing the Future, and regularly asked to repeat certain activities.” 

- Middle School Social Studies, Science and Language Arts Teacher, Winnipeg, MB, Canada 

 

“Facing the Future focuses on relevant material that affects all people. It is not generic or contrived material that we pump into our students’ brains, rather it is material that allows for student growth on an independent and holistic level. The resources are easy to use, and all-encompassing. They inspire discussion and reflection, and they also create student interest because they are relevant to our students’ lives.” 

- High School Language Arts Teacher, Reno, NV 

 

“Facing the Future curriculum has provided me with many student-centered activities that are both entertaining and thought-provoking for my difficult to teach students.” 

- High School Environmental Science Teacher, Canton, GA 

 

“The activities encourage students to think of creative problem-solving strategies and to examine a problem from many sides. This transfers to them looking for different sides on current events issues and seeking out varying points of view, and sometimes conflicting expertise, to develop a position of their own.”

- High School Social Studies Teacher, Santa Rosa, CA 

 

“[With Facing the Future curriculum resources] my students have become more aggressive in their own learning and resource skills. They actively look outside and further into the area we are learning about. They have learned to ask questions and discuss environmental concerns with their parents. It is easy to involve my students even at the middle school level. The curriculum is easy to follow and to adjust to the different levels of understanding. The ideas for active learning and assessment are interesting and motivating to my students.” 

- Middle School Social Studies and Science Teacher, Austin, TX 

 

“It is the best Global Issues curriculum that I have seen because it allows students to move past the feeling that issues are too huge to handle and moves them towards becoming future problem solvers.” 

- Middle School Global Studies Teacher, Los Angeles, CA 

 

“[Facing the Future provides] necessary, important, relevant curriculum that helps to fill a void in critical issues with activities that link nicely to standard curriculum content and standards.” 

- Middle School Science Teacher, Bonsall, CA 

 

“Facing the Future offers lessons that are especially good at capturing students’ attention and promoting involvement. It’s great to have all the materials and procedures outlined and tested; I know these are going to work!” 

- High School Environmental Science Teacher, Glen Rock, PA 

 

“Students of varied abilities are given a common and engaging experience, so that no group is privileged or disadvantaged. The hands-on component of each lesson is very effective, and makes even complex and abstract ideas meaningful to young people. Every lesson and reading lends itself to truly substantive conversation.” 

- Middle School Social Studies Teacher, Seattle, WA 

 

“I can't think of a more perfect curriculum for 7th graders in a World Geography class. My own knowledge has increased exponentially and I have shared this curriculum with every other social studies teacher in the building. Thank you for creating such an incredible tool!” 

- Middle School Social Studies Teacher, Silverdale, WA 

 

“The curriculum and online resources have helped me refine my Global Studies course. The action activities have engaged the students' critical thinking skills in addition to a heightened awareness of global issues. The middle school student though self-absorbed is still eager to know more about poverty and its causes, environmental issues and possible solutions. They want to be part of the solution.” 

- Middle School Global Studies Teacher, Bangkok, Pakkred Nothanburi, Thailand 

 

“Facing the Future is an incredible resource. The activities are engaging and teach REAL issues. The readings are informational. The advanced text is beautiful. The pictures from around the world, the literature excerpts, the graphs...everything is so informative and presented in such a true manner. I wish every school would adopt a curriculum based around Facing the Future. As a teacher, I have learned a lot and it has helped to increase my social awareness.” 

- High School Social Studies Teacher, Downers Grove, IL 

 

“Great program that uses 'small' activities to introduce 'big' concepts. These activities really pull the students into discussions and gets them thinking at the next level.” 

- High School Social Studies Teacher, Vancouver, WA 

 

“I have literally been able to create a six-week global issues course for seventh graders by using Facing the Future materials almost exclusively. The activities found in the Engaging Students through Global Issues book have been outstanding and provide the memorable situations that the students will remember.” 

- Middle School Global Issues Teacher, Pasadena, CA 

 

“Everyone is excited and inspired by the materials [in Engaging Students through Global Issues]. My students enthusiastically call for more! Their retention and understanding soars when we use simulations. [The curriculum] easily reaches and engages my ESL students.” 

- Elementary School Teacher, Boulder, CO 

 

“The curriculum is amazing. I have used it systematically this year, and can find no faults with it. The students are incredibly engaged, while learning very complex issues related to my science curriculum. The students are writing, reflecting, researching, and reading more and more about global issues. I just love it!” 

- Middle School Science and Language Arts Teacher, Cupertino, CA 

 

“The articles in the text were very thought-provoking for the students. The activities were fun and really helped the students FEEL the issues.” 

- High School Environmental Science Teacher, Hunters, WA 

 

“Facing the Future resources are appealing in every respect: a) easy and simple; b) well researched; c) excellent graphics and photos; d) well written; e) and inspiring.” 

- Middle School Gifted Teacher, Metter, GA 

 

“[Facing the Future curriculum] forces students to evaluate their own lives, and how they personally are fitting into the global picture. It also helps students understand the idea of sustainability – and makes it very real to them. It provides many ways to discuss issues facing the world, and prompts students to find solutions that they can start putting into action. I've loved using it in the classroom!” 

- High School Science Teacher, Nicholasville, KY 

 

“I appreciate the positive tone that the lessons and materials convey. Global issues can be heavy for young people and the last thing we want to do is weigh them down to the point of powerlessness. Inspiring students to act on what they learn is key and Facing the Future's materials are certainly geared to help students do just that. The lessons are also well formatted and easily adaptable to various interest and ability levels.” 

- High School Social Studies Teacher, St. Louis, MO 

 

“It is just amazing to have meaningful material to present to learners while still being aligned with national standards. Facing the Future incorporates higher order critical thinking in all of their lessons.” 

- Middle School Science, Social Studies, Language Arts and ESL Teacher, Miami Springs, FL 

 

“Facing the Future's online resources have been a tremendous help to me and I have used these resources with great success in my classroom. I immediately saw a difference in my students' attitudes and behaviour the first time I tried an activity from the website. Students are bombarded with talk about environmental issues but are not always provided the opportunity to participate in decision making in respect to environmental issues. Facing the Future's curriculum and resources allows students this opportunity to engage in decision making and to explore different worldviews that they may not have otherwise had the chance to examine.” 

- High School Environmental Science Teacher, Saint John, NB, Canada 

 

“Facing the Future’s curriculum guides are the single best, easy to use resource for teaching about global issues and sustainability that I have ever seen. Students find the activities highly engaging and thought provoking. Even other teachers have said to me, 'I don't know what you're teaching in your classes but students are finding it interesting enough to keep talking about in my classes!'” 

- High School Science Teacher, Seattle, WA 

 

“I found that the curriculum to be on point concerning issues that impact all communities. Living in a rural economically disadvantaged Native American community the reality of the curriculum is our daily community experience. Unlike elite suburban schools where learning of the problems that exist is of paramount importance, our community needs models that demonstrate the strategies needed to develop solutions in real time.” 

- High School Social Studies and ESL Teacher, Covelo, CA 

 

“Facing the Future has provided a strong, positive framework which helps students get a grasp on very complex issues. Students become engaged in the activities. Problems and solutions become tangible for them and they feel less overwhelmed and confused by the many serious questions facing all of us. It is the most successful, student-centered curriculum I have ever found to teach about global issues.” 

- Middle School Social Studies Teacher, Fall City, WA 

 

“I like the fact that most of the lessons are based on student discovery rather than direct lecture. The hands-on approach helps them retain knowledge longer than straight memorization.” 

- High School Science Teacher, Lake Placid, NY 

 

“I am a teacher of the gifted with several Future Problem Solver teams and a Junior United Nation Assembly simulation as part of our curricular offerings. Both areas deal with finding problems, global issues and solutions for sustainable futures. Your site is a great find for an additional resource for these programs.” 

- Elementary School Gifted Teacher, Birmingham, AL