Learning Circles

Setting the Standard for Excellence in K-12 Student Collaborative Project Work

iEARN Global Learning Circles provide a structure for students around the world to connect work on projects as a team. Twice a year (September and January), teachers can enroll their classes in either Hello World or Global Learning Circles. Circles are formed of students from 6-8 classrooms and together they plan a set of challenges for each other. The result is authentic student work and true international collaboration. By having each classroom plan part of the circle work, the project work can be integrated with classroom learning while extending it by have students "learn with the world."

The following is a list of projects that will be offered this semester: Grade Levels are indicated for each project – Elementary (E), Middle (M), and High School (H):

  • Hello World (5 and 10-week Sessions): These circles serve as an introduction the learning circle model and provides a taste of working in a virtual global classroom.
    • Hello World (5-week session; E, M, H): This Learning Circle is for teachers and students who have never participated in a Learning Circle. This experience will introduce teachers and students to the basics of Learning Circles including Teacher Introductions, Class Surveys, and the Exchange of Information.
    • Hello World (10-week session; M, H): The Hello World 10-week experience takes classes through the same structure as the 5-week Hello World, but is for teachers who want their students to communicate peer-to-peer in the iEARN Collaboration Centre.
  • Theme-Based Learning Circles (10 and 16-week sessions): These longer, theme-based circles, have a curricular structure that revolves around a set of phases from the opening and closing of the circles. Teachers receive weekly messages helping them to support their students' work in these global virtual classroom circles.
    • My Hero: First Steps (5-week session; E, M, H): For those teachers and students who are new to iEARN and online collaborative project work, the 5-week MY HERO First Steps is an opportunity to get a sampling of the MY HERO Learning Circle. Students learn about young global heroes and honor heroes in their own community while teachers connect with other educators using the iEARN platform.
    • My Hero: Celebrating Everyday Heroes (10-week session; E, M, H): The 10-week MY HERO: Celebrating Everyday Heroes brings together students and teachers who are interested in collaborating with other classes on honoring everyday heroes in their community and the world. Students will be introduced to young heroes and realize that they can make a positive difference in the world. Ideas will be shared on iEARN’s platform and students will be given the opportunity to create a final project, individually or as a group, honoring those making a positive difference.
    • My Hero (16-week session; M, H): The 16-week MY HERO: Call to Action Learning Circle introduces students to heroes of all ages working on the SDGs. Students share their ideas through iEARN’s platform, choose an issue they feel strongly about, and design an action plan. Students will create a final project (written story, film, artwork, or audio) either individually or as a group honoring those making a positive difference working on the SDGs or documenting their effort to create positive change in the world.
    • Computer Chronicles (10-week session: E, M): This theme promotes non-fictional writing across the curriculum. Interaction online revolves around producing a newspaper-like publication called The Computer Chronicles. Each class has the opportunity to sponsor one or more sections of the newspaper as their Learning Circle project. Classrooms solicit articles from their partner classes and edit them to create one section of the newspaper. This section is combined with the other sections sponsored by circle partners to form the completed Circle publication.
    • My School (10-week session; E, M): This circle is for elementary and middle school allows students to present information about their classroom and their school. Participants may choose to write stories, take photographs, prepare multi-media presentation, create video, or use other media formats to share and highlight information about their school.
    • Global Issues (16-week session; M, H): Global Issues encourages students to discuss a broad range of educational, environmental, social, political, and economic issues with concern on how they affect the Earth's entire population. Projects focus on identifying and developing solutions for the countless issues that face the Earth's inhabitants. This curriculum encompasses many subject areas including sociology, science, government, history, and economics.
    • Places and Perspectives (16-week session; M, H): The Places and Perspectives project encourages students to explore regional history, culture, government, and geography by sharing their knowledge with people from different locations. The goal is to help students understand how historical events and geographic conditions interact to help shape their lives and gives them a deeper understanding of themselves, their families and their communities.

There are two sessions each year, September to January and January to May for the Global Learning Circles. To join iEARN Learning Circles, you must first be a member of iEARN and register two weeks before the beginning of the session.

Registration is now open for the January to May 2024 session of iEARN Global Learning Circles. To REGISTER, VIEW THIS TUTORIAL.

    Click the icons below to learn more about the 5 and 10-week Hello World, and the 10 and 16-week Learning Circles themes, and to explore resources.

    Schedule for 2024 Learning Circles


    January to May Session:

    Hello World (5-week project)
    • Begins: January 30, 2024
    • Ends on/around: March 5, 2024
    Hello World (10-week project)
    • Begins: January 30, 2024
    • Ends on/around: April 9, 2024
    Learning Circle Themes (5, 10 and 16-week Projects)
    • Begin: January 30, 2024
    • End on/around:
      • March 5, 2024 (5-week)
      • April 9, 2024 (10-week)
      • May 21, 2024 (16-week)


    All Learning Circle Placement forms are due by January 28, 2024.

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