Rivers of the World is an international arts education initiative that links London schools with young people around the world to study their city rivers.

The program launched in the USA in Washington, DC, in January 2010. Six public schools in each city were paired up to raise their global awareness and bring an international dimension to their learning through an integrated curriculum of arts, environmental sciences and social studies.

The DC public schools that participated in the project are shown below with their London partner school and the theme of their artwork in 2011:

Collaborative Curriculum
In line with DCPS curriculum, 8th graders incorporate the project into their social studies class while 9th graders focus on environmental science. Each partnership is working on a Joint Curriculum Project of their choosing using a secure website.  

Artist Workshops/Exhibitions
In Spring 2011 groups from each school participated in workshops led by local artists Abi and Dylan Byrd. The resulting artwork on the Thames was displayed at the Thames Festival in London in September 2011 and is currently displayed outdoors at Yards Park in Washington, DC.

• To see video from one of this year's workshops, visit our blog.

School Linking
In September 2010 two teachers from each US school attended a Partnership Seminar in London, visited their partner school, viewed the Thames Festival, and prepared for the second year of the project. In 2011 London teachers visited their Washington, DC, partner schools.

View the Artwork in Washington
The students' artwork will be exhibited from November 2011 through March 31, 2012, in Washington's Yards Park – a stunning development on the Anacostia River. For directions and more information, please visit the Park's website.

Rivers of the World is a Thames Festival Project delivered in partnership with British Council Connecting Classrooms with support from HSBC Global Education Trust.