The pace of global change and the increasing interdependence of people worldwide are the driving forces behind the need for a contemporary global education movement that reinterprets current knowledge to educate students to meet their responsibilities as citizens of an increasingly complex global society. Evaluations of U.S. 18-24-year-olds reveal that many young people lack the basic geographic and conceptual groundwork for intercultural or global understanding. Whether this educational need is met by adding new curricula or infusing current curricula with a global context, the content of the programs should include the study of human values, global systems, global problems and issues, and the history of global interdependence. Appropriate materials and programs must be developed that provide instructional support for thoughtful solutions to global issues and encourage students to analyze issues and synthesize possible solutions to global controversies. This process should be linked to civics education to provide the student with a sense of the global reality of American citizenship. Programs in Minnesota and Florida are discussed and a list of references and organizations concerned with global education are given. (PPB)