By: Isabel Prasad, Policy Intern, Office of the Deputy Secretary

Isabel is a rising junior at UC Berkeley studying Political Science, concentrating in International Relations and minoring in Human Rights Interdisciplinary Studies.

To build a globally adept citizenry, the U.S. Department of Education promotes biliteracy, collaborates with relevant domestic and international stakeholders, and participates in worldwide education summits as a part of the Raise the Bar: Lead the World Initiative.

I grew up in a household at the center of different cultures, ethnicities, and religions.  My mom is of Mexican descent and my dad is Indo-Fijian, so multicultural heritage influenced my kaleidoscope worldview. Whether debating which national sports teams to cheer for, or discussing how geopolitics impacted my family’s immigration journey, my childhood and young adulthood was filtered through a global lens. 

When I arrived at UC Berkeley, I decided to concentrate my Political Science studies on International Relations and Human Rights to align with my future career aspirations.  In my college classes, I learned about the Human Development Index (HDI), which measures human capability and quality of life beyond economic evidence.  One main facet of the HDI encompasses schooling, which is part of a general education measure designated to each country.   I realized that an in-depth understanding of education policy and how it operates in a domestic context would help me in my future efforts to excel in foreign affairs. Therefore, I was thrilled to secure a summer internship in the Office of the Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education (Department) to combine my experience working in schools with elementary-aged children with my appreciation for the transformative role of education in society. 

On my first day at the Department, I was introduced to Raise the Bar, “the U.S. Department of Education’s call to action to transform education and unite around what truly works—based on decades of experience and research—to advance educational equity and excellence.”  One major component of this noteworthy initiative is the international strategy to…

1)      Increase global competencies for U.S. students;

2)      Learn from and with other countries to strengthen U.S. education; and

3)      Engage in active education diplomacy to advance U.S. and international priorities.

To achieve these focal points and develop global citizens, the U.S. Department of Education promotes biliteracy, collaborates with other relevant stakeholders, and participates in international education summits.

Secretary Miguel Cardona has a multilingual background, so the Department prioritized biliteracy from day one.  According to the 2023 report, Succeeding Globally Through International Education and Engagement, “One in every five U.S. jobs is reliant upon global trade, but due to a lack of language proficiency a quarter of U.S. employers say that they are losing business.”  Shockingly, only 20 percent of K-12 students experience world language instruction.  To address these concerns, the Department hosted its First Seal of Biliteracy Summit in June 2024, which celebrated proficiently multilingual high school students across all 50 states and in turn disrupted a history of valorizing exclusionary monolingualism in public schools.  Additionally, the Department collaborated with Spain to facilitate multilingualism in American schools as well as the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative, which expanded Mandarin language learning programs and exchange, to raise the bar across language barriers.

Further, the bilateral engagements of ED occur domestically and internationally to strengthen the global presence of the U.S. education system.  Particularly, the Department of State and Education have exemplified a productive interagency collaboration that coordinated a national approach to international education highlighted in a joint statement.  This includes increasing study abroad/overseas exchange programs, especially for individuals who reflect the diverse tapestry of this country, globalizing course content with universal curriculums, utilizing technology to improve learning experience and access, and partnering with higher education institutions and companies all over the world for research and innovation. 

Opportunities like the International Summit on the Teaching Profession demonstrate how the Department engages with its counterparts to lead the world. Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten attended the 2024 conference in Singapore and Secretary Cardona reflected that the summit “is about driving the intentional collaboration around the world [so we are] … building and supporting the next generation of incredible educators, preparing young people to engage globally in an increasingly interconnected world, … and managing the risks of digital transformation.” 

I am grateful for my internship experience at the Department; I feel empowered to witness the values of my international identity represented in the educational approach of the country.  As I continue collegiate studies, I notice expansive resources reflective of a diverse education, such as more inclusive course content and multilingual offerings like Hindi classes, growth of study abroad programs that allowed me to participate in a Mexico City research trip, and varied teaching styles that celebrate traditions such as Greek philosophy and Socratic seminars.  All of this makes me hopeful that our education system will continue to prepare generations of global citizens that seek productive collaboration, not stagnant isolationism. 

Secretary Miguel Cardona (center, black suit and gold tie) representing the United States at the 2023 International Summit on the Teaching Profession.