May 1, 2018
After three years of growing and developing Cumbria’s commitment to global learning, the EU Global Schools project is coming to an end. The project has worked closely with both teachers and children in a network of schools, tried to influence education policy at a county level through engagement of the LASLs and the LEA, and worked with partners in Europe to share expertise, lessons learnt and build solidarity.
Children have developed their credentials as global citizens by examining global problems at a local level and trying to change their own and their community’s behaviour. A prime example is St Mark’s Primary School’s plastic-free Kendal campaign.
To celebrate the end of the Global Schools project and to extend global learning in Cumbria’s schools, Cumbria’s advocates of global citizenship came together for The Big Global Learning Conference at Rheged in early March. Over 50 teachers from 35 schools and over 40 children from 13 of the region’s primary schools got together to share best practice and learn new skills.
Inspirational keynote speaker Alison Hooper, head at Egerton Primary School in Cheshire, shared her ‘Golden Thread’ that binds citizenship and global learning into the ethos of both her primary school and the wider community.
Workshops led by facilitators from around the country (including Cockermouth School’s LGBT+ group) gave delegates time to focus on a range of global learning angles, from P4C to empathy, and wellbeing to gender.
Through the day, the children attended their own sessions as well as displaying their own exhibitions that they had created under the Global Schools EU project. Head to page 3 to see the photos!
To round off the day, an expert panel discussed the future of Cumbria’s global learning: we can use it to tackle the homogenous nature of Cumbria and the lack of diversity, and look for more opportunities to be interconnected.
With thanks to GLP and Global Schools EU project who funded the conference.
