Global Week


Each January, Castilleja School hosts Global Week to provide students with a unique opportunity to examine a globally relevant topic through workshops, projects, and in-depth engagement with speakers.

Language is an essential part of our identity—it connects our communities and preserves our cultures. We understand and empathize with each other through a common language, while not knowing a language can deprive us of a sense of belonging and, in some cases, access to opportunities and basic rights. Through stories of immigrants, asylum seekers, Indigenous communities, and equity advocates, Global Week 2024 will explore the intersection of language, culture, identity, and social justice.

  • How do the languages we speak impact our identity, perspectives, and worldview?

  • How can we use the privileges afforded by our language(s) for social justice?

  • How are communities reclaiming their languages to resist marginalization and confront the history of colonization?

Global Week 2024 will be a 3-day experience from Wednesday, January 3–Friday, January 5, 2024.

GLOBAL WEEK 2024 SPEAKER SCHEDULE

WED, JAN 3 THU, JAN 4 FRI, JAN 5

9:30AM PST — 
Beyond Words: Nurturing Identity and Connection—the Crucial Role of Language in My Life
Jean Kwok, Award-winning and New York Times bestselling Author

9:30AM PST — 
Language Like a Blanket: Language, Identity, and Finding Home

Alejandra Oliva, Author of Rivermouth: A Chronicle of Language, Faith, and Migration

9:30AM PST — 
A Key into the Language: Exploring Identity, Cultural Continuation, and Social Justice

Lorén M. Spears, Executive Director of Tomaquag Museum and an enrolled citizen of the Narragansett Indian Tribal Nation

2:10PM PST — 
Power of Language: Unveiling its Global Impact

Francis Phiri, Educator and Founder of Give Back to Community - Zambia
 

2:10PM PST — 

Is it Cringey, Trendy, or Unprofessional? Why AAVE, Having an Accent & Being 'Well Spoken' Matter

Franchesca Ramsey, Actor, Writer, Public speaker, and Creator/Star of the award-winning web series MTV Decoded

 
 

7:00pm PST —
Virtual Community Event with Alejandra Oliva, Author of Rivermouth: A Chronicle of Language, Faith, and Migration

(Traducción al español disponible para este evento / Spanish Translation is 
offered for this event)

 

Past Global Weeks

Meet the Team

Jessica Yonzon

Titles: Director of ACE Center and Global Engagement, Interdisciplinary Content Area (ICA) Lead, Global Systems
Email:

Hannah Nguyen

Titles: Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice, Interdisciplinary Content Area (ICA) Lead, Social Justice
Email:

Becca Winslow

Titles: Director of Leadership and Community Partnerships, Interdisciplinary Content Area (ICA) Lead, Women in the World
Email: