Scott Bower is originally from Torrance, California. He graduated from HGSE’s Online Ed.M. in Education Leadership program in 2025. His focus is global citizenship education, and he has worked as a teacher for a decade, with six of those years being in Brazil.
My grounding as a teacher comes from the educational philosophy of Daisaku Ikeda, a Buddhist leader and writer, and his articulation of what soka or ‘value creating’ education means. Ikeda states that soka is the “capacity to find meaning, to enhance one’s own existence and contribute to the well-being of others, under any circumstance.” As a Soka educator, I’m committed to deepening my own understanding of being a global citizen who lives a contributive life. I want to lead by example and show my students what it means to learn across differences, cultivate greater empathy, and bring forth wisdom to perceive the interconnectedness of all life.
When I came to HGSE, I knew that I wanted to engage my fellow classmates, professors, and Harvard community in a shared inquiry about what it means to be a global citizen. I leveraged my podcast I started in 2020 to collect the educator stories of my fellow classmates. What I came to realize after each dialogue was that my guests viewed global citizenship in a similar light. Within this reflective space, it became apparent that this concept was something that they could articulate in tandem with their deepest values. The various twists and turns of their life journey came as a result of family, friends, and mentors. I encouraged them to share any experiences that challenged them to think differently and forge their character. I wanted to hear about the ‘why’ in the work that they were engaged in. Each guest had an arch of growth that made it clear that without those challenges they wouldn’t be where they are now.
I feel like podcasting is an excellent way to hold space for educators to speak to their own stories. Amidst their busy lives working in their respective organizations, writing essays for class, and taking care of their families, I managed to get over two thirds of my cohort to be on my podcast. I felt that each episode was a gift for the whole class to glimpse into their life and be inspired by their world view and the many people that contributed to make them who they are today. HGSE is all about ‘learning to change the world.’ In many ways, OELers are already engaged in this work. I sought to validate their stories and bring them into focus using the lens of global citizenship. We had many classmates from all over the world such as the Phillipines, China, India, UAE, Japan, and Uganda. By bridging the geographic distances of where each OEL was located, I wanted my podcast to serve as a repository of incredible educator stories that show what it takes to make the world a better place as global citizens.
My podcast is called ‘Be A Global Citizen!’ I ended up with this name because I simply wanted each person to believe that they are a global citizen. In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic left many people, including myself, feeling disempowered and scared. I decided that I could take action by creating a podcast that would allow my voice to be heard. I created weekly episodes to unite global citizens from all over the world and empower each other to not give up on our efforts to contribute back to our communities. Fast forward a few years to 2023, and I’m beginning my studies at HGSE. I knew that my classmates would be from diverse backgrounds. I was eager to learn from them and I wanted to use my platform to raise their voices for others to be inspired.
I would say that each episode is unique, so this makes it difficult to pick one that is my favorite. What I can say with confidence is that each episode affords me a new opportunity to be present with another incredible educator. I strive to create a safe and engaging space for my guests to truly be themselves. I like to think that my favorite episode is whichever the most recent one is. I have a lot to learn about the art of podcasting, and I grow from each encounter. I hope that you find value in listening to the stories of HGSE students who are all ‘learning to change the world.’ If you believe in the power of education and are looking for a community of inspiring change makers, look no further than HGSE students. I’m honored to be connected with this global network of global citizens.
If you’d like to check out Scott’s podcast, you can find it on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@peacetogether
Spotify: Peace Together on Spotify
Apple Podcasts: Peace Together on Apple Podcasts
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