Global Cities
Global Cities, Inc., a nonprofit program of Bloomberg Philanthropies founded in 2014, delivers the free Global Scholars international virtual exchange for ages 10-13 across 126 cities and co-publishes the OECD-endorsed Codebook assessment tool, serving educators, school districts, and education ministries globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Global Cities does
Global Cities, Inc. is a nonprofit organization founded in 2014 that operates as a Program of Bloomberg Philanthropies. The organization develops and delivers the Global Scholars international virtual exchange program, which uses asynchronous digital discussion boards and year-long thematic curricula to connect students ages 10-13 across 126 cities in 39 countries. Its other primary offering is the Codebook for Global Student Learning Outcomes — a research-validated assessment tool containing nine student learning outcomes, 112 empirical indicators, and 55 observable indicators — co-published with the OECD and co-developed with Harvard Graduate School of Education's Project Zero (now The Open Canopy). Free 90-minute educator workshops, the Global Ed Lab community, district-wide professional development, and a Global Scholars Alumni Network complement the two flagship products; the organization has cumulatively reached nearly 139,000 students and 3,100 educators.
The underlying technical platform centers on asynchronous online discussion boards that connect classrooms internationally, with student-written posts serving as both the learning artifact and the assessment data source for manual coding against the Codebook framework. No proprietary AI/ML models, APIs, SDKs, or machine-readable outputs are described; discussions are assessed by trained human coders under a published methodology. The product surface is multilingual (Codebook available in English, Catalan, Kazakh, Russian, and Spanish) and integrates with school-district curricula via formal partnerships with ministries of education.
Global Cities operates under a philanthropic business model: all offerings are provided free to educators, students, and education systems, with funding flowing from Bloomberg Philanthropies as the sole disclosed parent/funder. The organization generates no product or service revenue from individual users. Its go-to-market combines self-serve free workshops on Zoom (entry-point for individual teachers), community-led acquisition through the Global Ed Lab, and channel partnerships with government education ministries (Madrid, Catalonia, Kazakhstan) and research institutions (Harvard Project Zero, AFS Intercultural Programs, OECD) that enable district-wide adoption. Pricing across all tiers is 'free' or 'no-fee,' and district-wide PD engagements function as multi-year philanthropic deliverables rather than revenue contracts.
Global Cities firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Global Cities
- Legal name
- Global Cities, Inc.
- Website
- https://globalcities.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Global Cities, Inc., a nonprofit program of Bloomberg Philanthropies founded in 2014, delivers the free Global Scholars international virtual exchange for ages 10-13 across 126 cities and co-publishes the OECD-endorsed Codebook assessment tool, serving educators, school districts, and education ministries globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Global Cities industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Global Competency Education
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Secondary School Exchange Programs (Academic Year/Semester) (EDAIAHAB)
Keywords
Where Global Cities is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Global Cities business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Bloomberg Philanthropies Funding: Global Cities, Inc. is a nonprofit organization operated as a Program of Bloomberg Philanthropies. The organization appears to be entirely philanthropically funded, with all programs (Global Scholars, educator workshops, Codebook) offered free to participants.
- Professional Development Services: Provides customized district-wide professional development to education ministries and school districts. The Teaching Global Competency course (20-hour, no-fee curriculum) is offered at no cost to partner education systems.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free educator workshops |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Codebook for Global Student Learning Outcomes |
| Other | Multi-year contract | District-wide professional development (no-fee) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Global Cities product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Global Cities, Inc. operates the Global Scholars international virtual exchange program for students ages 10-13, connecting classrooms across 126 cities in 39 countries through e-classrooms and digital discussion boards. The organization also delivers the Codebook for Global Student Learning Outcomes, a research-validated evaluation tool co-published with OECD and Harvard, free educator workshops, and customized district-wide professional development programs for school systems and education ministries.
Product overview
Global Cities, Inc. operates a unified product ecosystem centered on the Global Scholars international virtual exchange program, supplemented by the Codebook for Global Student Learning Outcomes (an evaluation framework/tool) and Educator Workshops. The Global Scholars program serves as the core platform connecting students globally, while the Codebook serves as both an assessment tool and standalone product. Additional offerings include Global Ed Lab (professional community), Virtual Exchange Guide (educational resource), District-Wide Professional Development (training services), and the newly launched Global Scholars Alumni Network. All offerings are free to educators and schools.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Global Scholars: International virtual exchange program for students ages 10-13 that connects students and educators around the world through e-classrooms to develop global competency.
- Global Ed Lab
- Codebook for Global Student Learning Outcomes
Products and services
- Global Scholars International virtual exchange program connecting students ages 10-13 with peers across 126 cities in 39 countries through e-classrooms, online discussion boards, and hands-on projects exploring global challenges such as food security, sustainable cities, and nature.
- Codebook for Global Student Learning Outcomes Research-validated evaluation tool containing 9 student learning outcomes and 112 empirical indicators for educators and researchers to identify, measure, and assess global competency learning in any K-12 program or classroom. Available free in 5 languages.
- Educator Workshops Free, research-backed, interactive virtual workshops (90 minutes each) that help K-12 teachers identify, measure, and nurture global competency elements in any classroom worldwide. Completion grants access to the Global Ed Lab community.
- Global Ed Lab Online professional learning community for international educators to collaborate, share expertise in teaching global competency, find virtual exchange partners, and access teaching resources. Accessed by completing a Global Cities workshop or event.
- District-Wide Professional Development Customized professional learning programs for school systems, including the 20-hour Teaching Global Competency course that can be embedded into existing PD programming. Delivered at no cost to partner education ministries and school districts.
- Virtual Exchange Guide Educational resource developed with Harvard's Project Zero offering 11 effective practices for designing and facilitating meaningful global virtual exchange experiences.
- Global Scholars Alumni Network Digital forum connecting Global Scholars alumni (ages 18+) to sustain collaboration on global challenges, including the Global Scholars Alumni Leadership Awards. Launched at the inaugural alumni reunion in Madrid, Spain.
Quantifiable outcome
- 98-99% of student discussion board posts coded for at least one global learning indicator in validated studies
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Global Cities
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Global Cities technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Global Cities partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.
- Bloomberg CityLabminorAlumni and educators from Global Scholars Alumni Convening attended Bloomberg CityLab conference opening plenary. Bloomberg Philanthropies CEO Patti Harris announced Youth Climate Action Fund expansion, connecting Global Cities' work to broader Bloomberg urban initiatives.
- Madrid Ministry of Education (Spain)flagshipExpanded partnership to implement Global Scholars curriculum throughout Madrid school district. Global Cities provides curriculum and training; Ministry trains teachers and creates virtual exchange opportunities. Includes 20-hour Teaching Global Competency course for Madrid teachers.
- Kazakhstan National Academy of EducationflagshipPartnership to align Kazakhstan's national curriculum with Global Cities' global learning outcomes. Used Codebook to analyze Year 4 World Understanding course, identifying 227 instances of alignment across 43 of 55 indicators (78%). Includes training on Codebook application for curriculum review.
- Catalan Regional Ministry of Education (Spain)flagshipDelivered two-day training tailored to local educators with Codebook translated into Catalan. Partnership includes inspector-teacher model for ongoing coaching and support for global competency implementation across Catalonia schools.
- AFS Intercultural ProgramsflagshipFormal partnership to analyze learning outcomes of students in AFS virtual exchange programs (Global Up Teen and Global You Changemaker curricula) using the Global Cities Codebook. Commissioned two validation studies demonstrating Codebook applicability across different virtual exchange contexts.
- CFR-EducationminorPartnership for joint workshop on migration as a borderless global issue. CFR-Education presented their World101 resources during a Global Cities workshop, expanding reach to CFR's educator audience.
- Harvard Graduate School of Education Project Zero (The Open Canopy)coreCo-developed the Codebook for Global Student Learning Outcomes with Harvard Project Zero researchers. Joint copyright ownership. The Open Canopy (formerly Out of Eden Learn) provides virtual exchange platform for research and validation studies.
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)flagshipOECD co-published the Codebook for Global Student Learning Outcomes. Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills, provided endorsement and validation of the evaluation tool's applicability for global competency measurement.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Global Cities competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AFS Intercultural Programs: Large, established international youth exchange nonprofit offering intercultural programs and virtual exchanges. Closely comparable to Global Cities in mission, target age group, and use of virtual exchange; AFS is already a Global Cities research partner.
- Soliya: Nonprofit operating the Connect Program, a facilitated cross-cultural virtual exchange for university and high school students. Overlaps with Global Cities on virtual exchange modality and global competency outcomes, though serves an older age band.
- Global Nomads Group: Nonprofit producing virtual exchange and cross-cultural dialogue programs for K-12 youth globally. Comparable mission and delivery mechanism, with longer tenure in conflict-zone and peacebuilding applications.
- PenPal Schools: K-12 virtual exchange platform connecting classrooms worldwide through project-based learning. Comparable in target audience (K-12), delivery model (online peer exchanges), and free teacher resources.
- Reach the World: Nonprofit providing virtual exchange and cultural exchange programming for K-12 students. Comparable in mission, age band, and use of technology to bring global perspectives into U.S. classrooms.
- Empatico: Free virtual exchange platform connecting elementary classrooms globally for empathy-building activities. Directly comparable age band and mission; serves a slightly younger audience (ages 6-11) than Global Cities.
- The Open Canopy (Harvard Graduate School of Education Project Zero): Harvard-based virtual exchange program (formerly Out of Eden Learn) for K-12 students and a co-developer of Global Cities' Codebook. Offers the most directly overlapping product (asynchronous cross-cultural student dialogue) and research infrastructure.
- Generation Global (Tony Blair Institute): Free virtual exchange program for secondary students focused on global issues dialogue and critical thinking. Closely comparable in age band (12-17), free delivery model, and use of structured cross-classroom dialogue.
Emerging players
- Facing History and Ourselves: Nonprofit providing social studies curriculum and professional development focused on identity, civic engagement, and global awareness for K-12 educators. Adjacent — overlaps on PD delivery and global competency framing — but does not operate student-to-student exchange.
Broad incumbents
- iEARN (International Education and Resource Network): Established global K-12 education nonprofit network enabling collaborative project-based exchange across 140+ countries. Comparable in international K-12 reach, though operates as a broader network of educator-led projects rather than a centralized curriculum.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Global Cities social profiles
Digital presenceGlobal Cities compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Global Cities financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Global Cities leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Global Cities funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Global Cities M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Global Cities
What does Global Cities do?
Global Cities, Inc. operates the Global Scholars international virtual exchange program for students ages 10-13, connecting classrooms across 126 cities in 39 countries through e-classrooms and digital discussion boards. The organization also delivers the Codebook for Global Student Learning Outcomes, a research-validated evaluation tool co-published with OECD and Harvard, free educator workshops, and customized district-wide professional development programs for school systems and education ministries.
Is Global Cities a public or private company?
Global Cities is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Global Cities founded?
Global Cities was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Global Cities based?
Global Cities is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Global Cities make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Bloomberg Philanthropies Funding is the primary driver. The others are professional Development Services.
Who are Global Cities's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AFS Intercultural Programs, Soliya, Global Nomads Group, PenPal Schools, Reach the World, Empatico, The Open Canopy (Harvard Graduate School of Education Project Zero) and Generation Global (Tony Blair Institute). Facing History and Ourselves is listed as an emerging player. iEARN (International Education and Resource Network) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Global Cities have an API?
No public API is recorded for Global Cities.
What industry is Global Cities in?
Global Cities's product category is K-12 Global Competency Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIAHAB, Secondary School Exchange Programs (Academic Year/Semester). Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.