The World in Transition (WIT) is a series of multimedia educational materials produced by the Southern Center for International Studies (SCIS) in Atlanta.  The materials are distributed nationally through the World Affairs Councils of America/World in Transition Flagship Program.  Each unit explores the geography, politics, economics, culture, and foreign policy of a given world region.  The world regions covered include Europe, Africa, Latin America, Middle East, Russia and the other former Soviet Republics, East Asia, and South Asia.  There is also a period piece on the End of the Soviet Union.

World in Transition curriculum units
Europe in Transition
Africa in Transition
Latin America in Transition
The Middle East in Transition
Russian and the Former Soviet Republics in Transition
East Asia in Transition
South Asia in Transition
The End of the Soviet Union

Each educational unit contains:
• Background essays that provide teachers with key information on each of the regional topics
• Lesson plans written by experienced teachers that include maps, primary source documents, charts, graphs, articles, cartoons and more
• A video/DVD that features brief documentaries regarding the region and excerpts from the Southern Center’s Peabody Award-winning conferences with world leaders and international experts.  All videos are now available on DVD.

To ensure the World in Transition series stays current, the Southern Center regularly updates the background essays and activity resources (charts, maps, graphs, etc.) on its web site (www.southerncenter.org).  Updated appendices, such as statistical grids, indices, and pronunciation guides, as well as the materials’ correlation to national standards can also be found.  The charts, graphs, maps, and tables in the updates are made available in full-page form so that transparencies and /or handouts can be prepared for classroom or other use.  In addition, the updates can serve as stand-alone pieces for those interested in understanding the ongoing dynamics in various world regions.  While each region is updated once a year, the updates are produced on a rolling schedule so that new regional updates appear on the SCIS website every 2-3 months.

To help keep track of what is happening around the world, educators, students, and other interested individuals can access timelines of international events created by SCIS.  All timelines are categorized by region, month, and year.

The SCIS research department has compiled a list of free web site links to bring teachers and students completely up-to-date on world issues.  A manageable number of web links are selected for each world region, with additional categories such as map sites and education resources included.

The World in Transition materials have been correlated to national social studies curriculum standards, as well as to the curriculum standards of a number of states.  Over 38,000 high school and middle school teachers have been trained with WIT materials through teacher workshops across the country, reaching millions of students.  Colleges, military training programs, and corporations have used WIT as well.

In order to have an available cadre of trained presenters who can train additional teachers in the use of WIT materials, the Southern Center for International Studies conducts “train-the-trainer” workshops in conjunction with partnering councils.  “Train-the-trainer” workshops are focused on training “master teachers,” who then train additional teachers in subsequent follow-up workshops.  “Train-the-trainer” workshops create a multiplier effect in a school district or state by providing more opportunities for teachers to attend a workshop.