Our increasingly interdependent world demands greater interaction and understanding between people and greater respect for our differences. We must therefore build communities where people of culture are seen as equal, learn from each other and share a common sense of rights and responsibilities as global citizens. The DFID Global School Partnerships (DGSP) is a programme aimed at meeting these goals and challenges.
AIMS
The DGSP programme aims to:
- Deliver successful, high quality educational, equal, mutual and sustainable partnerships between schools in Trinidad & Tobago and the UK
- Enhance the global dimension in school curriculum by providing an effective programme of advice, support, grants, training and professional development to teachers and schools
BENEFITS
- Can help provide a context for real, topical content across a range of subjects
- Helps teachers and learners to relate to issues of development and global citizenship
- A global dimension in the curriculum helps to extend pupils’ view of the world and helps them to explore their perceptions.
- Helps pupils to recognise connections and interdependencies and to think critically about different cultural, economic and political perspectives.
Such a programme will allow school children in Trinidad and Tobago to develop new learning tools in leadership, communication, team work and confidence building. They will also be given the opportunity to showcase their talents and share achievements with their UK partners.
All DGSP school partnerships in Trinidad and Tobago will receive the following support:
ADVICE AND GUIDANCE
- Partner finding support and resources
- Access to the Global Schools website containing a wealth of partnership resources
- Good Practice Network – online forum to share best practice in global school partnerships
- Free DGSP annual magazine and e-zine upon partnership registration
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- An Introduction to Global School Partnerships – workshop for teachers new to partnerships with global dimension goals
- Professional Development Seminars for teachers involved in established partnerships:
Building Effective Partnerships
A Global Dimension in the Curriculum
Involving Communities
Understanding Education & Development
GRANTS PROGRAMME
- Reciprocal Visit grants of £1,900 for visits to each partner school to enable teachers to plan joint curricular projects with global dimension themes
- Global Curriculum Project grants of £5,400 per year for up to three years to enable teacher travel and curriculum development for established partnerships to do joint curricular projects with global dimension themes
- Travel grants of £2,800 for students of secondary school age in years 2 and 3 of the Global Curriculum Project grant
- Grant Preparation Seminars to provide direct guidance on how to apply for our grants programme
DGSP TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
A number of partnerships have already been established between schools in Trinidad and Tobago and the UK. One T&T school has applied for and received a Reciprocal Visit Grant; another has applied for, and is awaiting the outcome of their application for the same.
“The Partnership programme opens the doors that are not available for the sharing of knowledge and experiences between schools and communities across the globe”.
“The partnership programme allows for the sharing of positive learning experiences in the classroom. Students, teachers, parents and all stakeholders can benefit”.
Comments of school teacher, Basdeo Sooknanan, Curepe Presbyterian School, Curepe
For further information and booking please contact the Partnership Coordinator, Jasbinder Birk at 628 2166 or email at Jasbinder.birk@britishcouncil.org.tt.
DEVELOPING A PARTNERSHIP
Get advice and information from Trinidad and Tobago Partnership Coordinator:
Jasbinder Birk
Partnership Coordinator
British Council
Trinidad and Tobago
19 St Clair Avenue, St Clair, Port of Spain
Tel: 628 2166
Fax 622 2853
Email: Jasbinder.birk@britishcouncil.org.tt
The DFID Global School Partnerships programme is delivered by a consortium of the British Council, Cambridge Education Foundation, UK One World Linking Association (UKOWLA) and Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO)
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