GEM was one of the first educational organizations to focus on developing global education programs for both schools and the local community.

Established as an educational non-profit organization, GEM was born as a 501(c)3 private non-profit corporation out of a need to help teachers and students deal with their interdependent world, looking at both its promise and its problems. GEM, now operating as a public foundation, was one of the first organizations to "bring the world into the classroom" and drew the interest and support of many people such as:

1. television's Fred Rogers whose "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" liked GEM's approach of "know thyself, know thy neighborhood, know thy world";
2. Paul Simon, former US Senator from Illinois who supported GEM's efforts to strengthen the use of foreign languages in the schools through various forms of international communication exchanges;
3. Dr. Robert Muller, former UN Assistant Secretary-General and now Chancellor Emeritus of the University of Peace in Costa Rica, who lauded GEM for its efforts to bring the UN into the classroom;
4. Dr. Jane Goodall for GEM's human rights, environmental, and endangered animal education, and
5. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan for GEM's various UN educational programs.

GEM was founded by educators and is directed today by educators, servicing schools and communities throughout the United States and abroad.

"GEM was founded by educators, servicing schools and communities throughout the United States and abroad"

GEM has always maintained a close association with the United Nations. GEM became an NGO (a non-governmental organization) in association with the UN Department of Public Information in 1986 and received the UN Peace Messenger Award in 1989 for its work on behalf of the UN and world peace.

Recent years have seen the addition of several new affiliations added to GEM's expanding network. These include: (1)We the Peoples 2000 (2) the Southern Sudanese Refugee Relief Foundation (3) the Multi Youth cultural eXchange (MYX) (4) Sterling Educational Institute (SEI) and (5) Social Responsibility in Business (SRB).

Since 1989, all of the above has been done out of GEM's main office at Chestnut Hill College where college and university level programming have also been developed.