Danbury’s Western Connecticut Academy of International Studies (AIS) has never been just another elementary school. Since 2006, it’s been a model for what education can look like when we prioritize global citizenship, world languages, and sustainability from an early age. But in recent months, there’s been growing concern that AIS may lose its magnet status, raising an urgent and very real question: If that happens, does the school’s core focus on Global Citizenship Education go with it?

In today's interconnected world, preparing our children to become globally competent citizens isn't optional, it's essential. The AIS curriculum directly addresses global challenges like climate change, migration, and poverty, helping students understand and engage with issues that transcend local boundaries. Early exposure at AIS develops a sense of unity, appreciation for diversity, and a responsibility toward global challenges among our youngest learners.

Global education shouldn’t stop at the elementary level. Danbury now has a powerful opportunity to build a clear and comprehensive pathway that extends the AIS foundational mission into our middle schools and the new high school currently under development. Establishing a dedicated track for Global Citizenship Education would significantly enrich the district’s offerings and better prepare students for the challenges of an interconnected world. Additionally, aligning AIS with local initiatives, such as the Danbury Collective Impact and the proposed charter middle school, could further amplify this effort, fostering meaningful collaboration across agencies and stakeholders to create a more supportive and unified environment for families and students.

Danbury has, for now, averted the immediate threat of losing AIS's magnet status, but this moment should serve as more than just a sigh of relief. It's a call to action. We, as a community, must ensure that the AIS mission of global education not only survives but thrives. Letting go of this vision would represent a significant step backward, undermining our children’s preparedness to face future global challenges.

I urge Danbury Public Schools, the superintendent, and all relevant stakeholders to engage in open and ongoing dialogue with parents, educators, and the broader community. Now is the time to reaffirm and strengthen AIS’s unique identity and to champion a vision of education that equips every student in Danbury to be a thoughtful, informed, and globally engaged citizen.

Miguel Barreto is a Danbury resident, a Parent Leadership Training Institute graduate, and an advocate for Global Citizenship Education. As the parent of two children who attended AIS, he has seen firsthand the benefits of this educational framework, especially meaningful given his family's multicultural background.