Ever wanted to meet another high school student from across the world? On October 31st, Mr. Coe arranged to meet with a class from London through a program called “Generation Global”, originally called “Face2Faith.”

“[Generation Global] was started by British Prime Minister Tony Blair to bring together students from different cultures and faiths to discuss topics like human rights, religious freedom, festivals, wealth and charity, and the environment,” explained George Coe, who teaches World Religions. Coe hosts Generation Global sessions in his World Religions class.

Using Skype and and an online bridging program called Vidyo, Coe’s students were able to talk to students far away. Coe first learned about this program in a workshop 6 years ago and has created a tradition of arranging these video conferences ever since.

 Coe has done 10-15 video conferences and each experience has been unique. 

“In the past, we’ve talked to students in Venezuela, Mexico, Ukraine, Pakistan, London, and Utah,” said Coe. “We listened to a Wican priest explain his beliefs, to the grandson of Caesar Chavez speak about equality before the law, and to a Catholic woman speak about women’s rights within the Catholic Church.”

Specifically last week, students focused on culture and how culture affected Alexandria and London. They discussed Halloween and how they celebrate it at an individual level. The British students talked about Brexit and its effects.

“Much of the content relates to content in my world religions class because it helps students to see religion as a lived religion and to consider different cultures,” said Coe. 

Stay tuned for the next conference on November 28th. Students will be discussing art and expression.