We are currently recruiting groups of UK secondary schools to link with schools in Colombia and Venezuela.

Why link with Latin America?

Links with Latin America open up the possibility to explore vibrant Hispanic culture and discover and improve Spanish language skills. Working with partners in this region offers schools in the UK an exciting opportunity for challenging yet rewarding international work, with students and teachers working together to enhance educational outcomes and gain a real and first-hand understanding of one another.

What does Connecting Classrooms offer?

			The opportunity to work with partner schools on collaborative curriculum projects which enable learners to interact across geographical boundaries - enhancing their understanding of each other’s societies, languages and cultures, and preparing them for life and work in a global society.
			Professional development for teachers and school leaders, which builds capacity to integrate an international dimension in the curriculum, support international partnerships and work in an international environment.
			Eligibility for International School Award accreditation, which recognises a school’s commitment to forming international partnerships and developing global citizens.
			Advice and support in the use of ICT tools that develop and sustain partnerships, including a range of online teacher forums.

Read more about the programme.

How does Connecting Classrooms work for partnerships with Latin America?

In this application round we are looking for two clusters of UK secondary schools, as specified below.

We will match each successful cluster of UK schools with an equivalent cluster of schools in one of the countries listed above. Teachers and students from the linked schools will then be encouraged to communicate online to get to know one another and prepare a project plan for the first year of their partnership. Teachers and other appropriate staff will also be able to access professional development opportunities to equip them to deliver joint curriculum projects and build a successful international partnership.

Funding

In the first year of the project, each cluster in the UK and Latin America will be able to apply for a grant of up to £1,500 per school upon approval of a joint activity plan (see 'Post-application timeline' section below).

We hope to be able to offer similar grants in subsequent years; again, this would be upon approval of joint activity plans submitted by each partnership.

Throughout the life of the partnership, teachers, head teachers and other appropriate school staff will be able to take advantage of professional development opportunities, including our free International Co-ordinators' Courses

Please note: We are piloting a new approach to the management and development of Connecting Classrooms partnerships with this region, in which we are no longer arranging contact seminars to bring new partner schools together, or asking for a local authority, federation or other organisation to support or co-ordinate clusters of schools in the UK. This means that we are not able to offer the additional grant for co-ordination that used to be available.

Post-application timeline

			21 October 2011: Application deadline
			October-November 2011: Selection of eligible applicants; all applicants informed of the outcome of their application.
			31 January 2012: Each partnership will be expected to submit a joint activity plan (including a budget breakdown and visit dates) to the British Council. Upon approval of this plan we will issue contracts and appropriate grant funding to participating schools.
			December 2012: Each partnership will be expected to submit a report to the British Council on their first year of activity. At the same time, they will be asked to submit an activity plan for the next year of their collaboration, and may be able to apply for further grant funding if they meet our quality standards. Upon approval of this plan we will issue contracts and grant funding, if appropriate, to participating schools for their second year of activity. We would expect this cycle to be repeated in the third year of the partnership.

How do we get involved?

If you would like your school to get involved please read the Application Guidelines and ensure you meet the eligibility criteria before completing the Application Form. You need to engage other schools to form a cluster of three secondary schools before you apply, as you will be required to provide details of all schools in your cluster on the application form. (The application guidelines and form have been updated for this application round so please make sure you use the versions available here.)

If you need support to form a cluster of the required number of schools, our Customer Services team may be able to help you identify other schools that are interested in international linking. The international co-ordinator in your local authority may also be able to offer you some advice.

Eligibility

			You must apply with the right combination of schools in your cluster and a named partnership co-ordinator (see the Application Guidelines for more information).
			Schools in the cluster should not already be receiving funding from the British Council (nor have applications pending for funding) from the British Council for work with the chosen partner country.
			All schools should have at least Foundation level of the International School Award. (To register for the Foundation ISA, download the ISA Statement of Intent then follow the instructions on the ISA web pages.) All schools accepted onto Connecting Classrooms will be expected, and supported, to work towards the next levels of the ISA during their involvement in the programme.
			Clusters should demonstrate that planned participation in Connecting Classrooms is linked to school development priorities.

Connecting Classrooms priorities

In order to widen participation in the programme we prioritise schools that have not yet received British Council funding. However, we appreciate that schools with experience of building international links can benefit schools that are largely new to international work. Therefore we may also accept clusters made up of schools with a mix of experience.

For more information, please e-mail us at schools@britishcouncil.org or call us on +44 (0)161 957 7755.