Frequently Asked Questions

The AFS Global Competence Certificate (GCC) is Global Up’s flagship award-winning learning program. Through a combination of self-paced online learning, facilitated dialogue, peer engagement, and reflection, participants develop practical skills in intercultural communication, collaboration, critical thinking, adaptability, and global engagement. Participants who successfully complete the program earn a certificate and a verified digital credential.

Global Up is the broader portfolio of global learning solutions developed by AFS Intercultural Programs. The Global Competence Certificate (GCC) is the flagship credential within that portfolio. Depending on their goals, institutions may implement GCC-based programs such as Global Up Abroad, Global Up At Home, Global Up Educator, Global Up At Work, and Global Up Teen. Explore Global Up offers

Global Up offers several learning pathways designed for different audiences and goals:

• Global Up Abroad helps students maximize the impact of study abroad experiences through pre-departure preparation, reflection, and re-entry learning.
• Global Up At Home provides accessible global learning opportunities for students who may not participate in international mobility programs.
• Global Up Educator supports faculty, teachers, and educational leaders in developing intercultural teaching and facilitation skills.
• Global Up At Work helps professionals and organizations strengthen intercultural communication, inclusive leadership, and global collaboration skills.
• Global Up Teen provides age-appropriate global learning experiences for younger learners through a protected learning environment.

Explore the Global Up offers

Global Up programs are designed for students, educators, faculty members, school leaders, professionals, nonprofit organizations, and institutions seeking to strengthen intercultural competence and global learning outcomes. Different program pathways allow organizations to select the experience that best aligns with their audience and objectives.

Global Up programs use a blended-learning approach that combines asynchronous online learning with synchronous Facilitated Dialogue Sessions. Participants engage in self-paced modules, interactive activities, peer learning, and guided reflection, while live facilitated duscussions, led by Qualified Facilitators, provide opportunities to deepen understanding, exchange perspectives, and apply intercultural learning in practice.

Program length varies depending on the learning pathway and implementation model. GCC-based programs can be delivered over periods ranging from two weeks to one year. Most participants complete approximately 7–9 hours of self-paced learning and four Facilitated Dialogue sessions totaling 6–8 hours, along with reflection activities and peer engagement.

Global Up programs are designed for international audiences and include multilingual learning resources to support participation across regions and language backgrounds. Depending on the program and module, content is available in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Dutch, Japanese, and other languages. Video content includes subtitles in up to nine languages, including English, Spanish, French, Dutch, Italian, Turkish, German, Chinese, and Portuguese. Some learning experiences also offer localized written content or video narration in additional languages.

Yes. Global Up programs are informed by decades of research in intercultural learning, global competence development, and experiential education. Independent studies have shown positive outcomes in areas such as intercultural communication, perspective-taking, confidence engaging across differences, and cross-cultural collaboration. Institutions interested in the evidence base behind Global Up can explore published research, impact studies, and assessment findings in our Research Repository.

Many institutions use Global Up before, during, and after study abroad experiences. Programs help participants prepare for intercultural encounters, maximize learning while abroad, and reflect on their experiences afterward. Global Up can also extend the benefits of global learning to students who are unable to participate in mobility programs.

Yes. Global Up can be embedded into existing courses, first-year experience programs, general education curricula, leadership initiatives, global learning pathways, and co-curricular programs. Institutions frequently use Global Up to support learning outcomes related to intercultural competence, global engagement, communication, and leadership.

Yes. Institutions may choose customized implementations that include dedicated program environments, institutional branding, customized communications, and content adaptations that align with strategic goals, academic requirements, or specific learner populations.

Participants demonstrate progress through quizzes, assignments, reflection activities, discussion participation, and engagement with Facilitated Dialogue Sessions (FDS). Institutions can receive participation and completion data to support assessment, reporting, accreditation, and continuous improvement efforts.

Participants often demonstrate increased intercultural awareness, stronger communication skills, greater confidence engaging across differences, and improved ability to collaborate in diverse environments. Institutions use these outcomes to strengthen global learning, student development, educator training, and internationalization efforts.

Institutions invest in Global Up because it provides a scalable, evidence-based approach to developing intercultural competence and global skills. Global Up helps expand access to global learning, support internationalization goals, strengthen student success initiatives, develop educators, and prepare participants to thrive in increasingly diverse academic and professional environments.

Over the past decade, Global Up programs have reached more than 40,000 learners through a growing network of institutional partners. Universities, schools, nonprofit organizations, and other mission-driven institutions have used Global Up to support global learning, intercultural development, leadership growth, and international education initiatives.

A Qualified Facilitator is a trained intercultural learning professional who leads the Facilitated Dialogue sessions that are central to the learning experience. Facilitators help participants reflect on their learning, engage with diverse perspectives, and apply intercultural competence concepts in meaningful ways.

Yes. Faculty members, staff, international educators, trainers, and other professionals can complete Qualified Facilitator training and become certified to facilitate Global Up programs within their institutions and communities.

Global Up programs are designed to support both small pilot cohorts and large-scale implementations. We work with each partner to determine the most appropriate model based on institutional goals, participant needs, and available resources.

Institutions receive guidance throughout implementation, including onboarding support, program planning assistance, participant communications resources, facilitator support, and ongoing consultation from experienced global learning professionals.

Getting started is simple. Contact the Global Up team to schedule a consultation, request a personalized demonstration, explore implementation options, or learn how Global Up can support your institution’s internationalization, global learning, and student success goals.