Workshops: Strategies, Skills, Good Practice for Global Education Partnerships

How can topics of global learning be treated within an international exchange with small children in primary school? What opportunities do digital media offer for a virtual global learning exchange?

On the one hand, the workshop will present the basic ideas and results of the project “Feliz Birh Tag” with primary school children in Germany, Mexico and South Africa. We will focus on the development of common topics, the cooperation with partner schools and concrete educational work in the different schools in all countries.

On the other hand, we will show the diversity of digital formats to foster meaningful virtual exchanges. As well as the possible tools to create “products” the learners will exchange to communicate amongst each other. Some digital formats are: photo collages, video conferences, video messages (e.g.: mystery video quiz), Websites / Blogs, interactive presentations and virtual tours.

Facilitators: Sabine Cordes, Principal of the elementary school Wingster Wald, Germany and  Giovanni Fonseca, trainer for education for sustainable development and digitization, ESD Expert net, Mexico and Germany

A Skype-Chat with Wendy Morel, a partner from Mexico, is planned.

Fostering Global Citizenship Education (GCED), although rarely our primary intention, is usually a natural by-product of our work. Therefore, it is important to openly discuss and identify what we are and are not doing to support practical implementation of GCED in our partnerships and networks. This workshop will be participative and dynamic, allowing an exchange of ideas and best practices.

By the end of this workshop you should

- have a working definition and understanding of basic implementation possibilities of GCED.

- be able to identify traits and qualities of a ‘global citizen’

- understand what and how international partnerships are contributing to GCED.

- be aware of the role that privilege and power play regarding our understanding of global citizenship and the access people have to our networks.

Facilitator: Nicolai Krichevsky, Robert Bosch Gesamtschule Hildesheim, Germany

20 years ago, when the AIDS crisis in Southern Africa was at its worst, a group of young township activists south of Cape Town founded together with international activists the NGO HOKISA (Homes for Kids in South Africa, www.hokisa.co.za). One of them from Europe was the teacher, historian and writer, Lutz van Dijk, from Amsterdam.

From day one, it was important that a real partnership was created, no European funding ever should create a hierarchy of power. This has been maintained over two decades now. Generations of children and youth who found a home at HOKISA are young adults now, leading their independent life. One of them even became a writer himself (Mbu Maloni: Nobody will ever kill me, English / German 2014). Storytelling and a new understanding of African history from an African perspective became part of their educational approach. Some of Lutz van Dijk’s books for young readers became part of South African and German school teaching (like his „African History of Africa“, 2006 - „Afrika-Geschichte eines bunten Kontinents“, 2015).

Lutz will explain the theory as well as the practical (educational) success of HOKISA’s work in South Africa and Germany. He will present not only some of these stories and books, abut also a short film documentary which is used in schools in South Africa and in Germany. After that, experiences from workshop participants will be exchanged.

Facilitator: Dr Lutz van Dijk (Co-Founder of HOKISA, Cape Town, South Africa

The Whole School Approach, the opening-up of a school to the local environment, student participation - all these are catchwords that need to be filled with life. How can it be possible to get a municipality interested in a school twinning with partners from other parts of the world? What role do pupils play in this process? Which topics are best suited for an expansion of the cultural encounter? What are possible pitfalls and which surprises might await you? How is all this financed and what "golden rules" should there be?

During this workshop, these questions and much more will be discussed and exchanged with two "junior ambassadors" and one teacher. Based on the experiences in the "Osteroder Modell" (cooperation between a school, community and foundation), the participants are cordially invited to discuss local networking as an important step after the establishment of a school partnership. Ideally, the workshop will encourage the participant to a whole school approach and open up the educational partnership in the sense of Agenda 2030 to the local community.

Facilitators: Marie Finiefs, Elias Kratsch, Tobias Rusteberg, Tilman-Riemenschneider-Gymnasium Osterode

Description is coming soon

Facilitators: Novelletta Blignaut, Sanctor High School, South Africa; Wesley Blignaut, Willow Academy, South Africa; Remo Jauernik, Helene-Lange-Schule Oldenburg, Germany and pupils from Helene-Lange-Schule Oldenburg

Poverty, inequality, post-colonialism… sensitive topics the youth (and also adults) wishes for exchanges. We would like to look at methods and structures for an exchange program with such topics. What do you gain through the use of creative media, what do you lose? What do you need to work creatively with media? We want to talk about your and our experiences.

Examples from our work:

- Talk about post-colonialism through storytelling.

- Show the different privileges of the participants through photography.

- Take young people aware of difficult topics by playing a role in a film or theatre.

- Give the participants a voice through music.

It is important that the young people participate in the shaping the exchange program.

Facilitators: Eckhard Kreye, Germany and Christine Kerubo Nyamwaro, Kenya, Partner Across Borders. This workshop involves former participants and leaders from Kenya and Germany.

Climate Change is faster than expected and people – after ignoring warning for 30 years – are now facing huge problems: Climate change AND poor understanding of reasons and structures which produces the disaster, a lack of ideas to stop: kind of political analphabetism. Let us exchange the different situations in our countries and create ideas to motivate commitment and change. And: What could be our role as young people in international partnerships and networks? We will show you some experiences of Peer-Leader-International and would like to motivate good ideas for future common work.

The workshop is open exclusively for young people and young adults.

Facilitators: Angelo Countinho, Peer Leader International Brasilien, Nikola Radivojac,Peer Leader International Bosnien, Ines Rülander, Peer Leader International Germany