The Global Gathering Place site is designed primarily for use in Social Studies education for Canadian students in Grades 7 through 12. However, the diverse original contents and flexible presentation ensure that many people interested in Canadian multicultural history and ethnic diversity will find it to be a relevant resource. In particular, these pages should prove useful and compelling for adult learners, community organizations, government agencies, ESL students of all ages, and local history groups. Researchers interested in immigration, refugee studies, diversity and multiculturalism will appreciate the primary archival materials and collected scholarly resources.

The subjects presented here range from histories of specific ethnic groups in Canada, to international human rights, to multiple facets of immigration, to Canadian law. Because of its cross-disciplinary emphasis, the Global Gathering Place site can help fulfil a wide range of curriculum goals, including teaching the following:

Content: Canadian history (personal, family, local, regional, national), citizenship, human rights, current events

Approaches: constructive approaches to social identity, encounters between ethnic communities, social responsibility and inclusivity, problems of discrimination, and racism

Skills: critical thinking, writing, information technology literacy, research methods

In practice, the versatility built into the site means that it is easily used directly by students, but also acts as a resource centre for teachers and curriculum writers. Thematic overviews and reference material (e.g., timeline, glossary) are mixed with original archival documents, photographs, and video footage, to provide students with a robust framework for active learning about cultural diversity. Suggested lesson plans, assignments, and links to other educational resources provide support for educators.