Melanie Peterson-Nafziger

she • her • hers

The many globally minded elements of Melanie’s last 25 years converge as she eagerly joins the World Savvy team. As Director of a 10-12th grade Montessori-International Baccalaureate program in St. Paul, Minnesota, Melanie has been immersed in engaging students and educators in learning and action in pursuit of equity, justice, and peace. Melanie served as IB Coordinator for over a decade focusing on fostering experiential learning; conceptual understanding; teaching through inquiry and design thinking; feedback and coaching of students’ learning through standards-based grading; and students’ development as both self-aware and globally minded citizens. Melanie has taught at both high school and university levels in many social studies courses including IB Global Politics, History, and Theory of Knowledge. She has fostered educators’ professional learning as a school administrator, Board member of the Minnesota Association of IB Schools, and created an online professional development course for IB Global Politics teachers with Edtrove. Melanie first discovered World Savvy in 2012 as one of five US educators for the World Savvy/American Youth Leadership Program, supporting U.S. and Bangladeshi students in developing global competency, investigating climate change during a month of travel in Bangladesh, and learning how to turn knowledge into action to live in solidarity. Melanie also worked as an Educator Advisor in World Savvy’s development of the Global Competency Certificate program. During college, Melanie investigated international development and food security while working with the Yatta South Women’s Group, a women’s economic empowerment and community development cooperative, and the World Food Programme in Katangi, Kenya. Melanie has earned a master’s degree in Human and Cultural Geography; a Minnesota teaching license for grades 5-12 social studies; and a bachelor’s degree in Journalism with a minor in Foreign Studies.

Melanie is thrilled to join the World Savvy team in 2021; its focus on developing globally competent students and educators who are equipped to navigate and shape our complex world, to live in solidarity at many scales, and to make effective change is vital as many schools and educators are more determined than ever to perforate the walls of students’ learning and lean into the complexity of our world.

When not immersed in the world of teaching and learning, you’ll find Melanie planting and sharing native plant seedlings, tending food gardens and green roofs, traveling, hiking and camping, volunteering, cooking, helping students to study abroad and hosting exchange students, spending time with her family, and engaging in and appreciating storytelling.