Global Connections – Interactive workshop on Development Education for Teachers from across Europe

25 teachers and teacher trainers from Cyprus, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Scotland and Ireland participated in a workshop on Development Education in Kaunas/ Lithuania from the 19 until the 23 of October, 2008. The workshop was part of the EuropeAid funded project ‘Accessing Development Education’, coordinated by Future Worlds Center (Cyprus) in partnership with Youth Career and Advising Centre (Lithuania), ScotDec (Scotland), KADE (Ireland) and C.E.G.A. (Bulgaria). The project’s main aim is to engage educators and schools in Development Education activities and equip them with relevant training and materials, thus making them promoters and multipliers of national campaigns that aim to create awareness about Development and about global interdependencies.
A Teachers Advisory Group (TAG) has been established in each partner country. The TAG members act as experts on the ground; they are actively involved in assessing, reviewing and modifying existing Development Education material, ensuring that it relates to the local teaching context.
The Global Connections workshop in Kaunas brought teachers and teacher trainers of all five national TAGs together. Throughout the four days, the participants explored a wide range of Global/ Development Education topics, such as Human Rights, Fair Trade, Refugees, Sustainable Development, and the Millennium Development Goals. The workshop sessions were led by the partner NGOs, as well as by teachers and teacher trainers themselves, sharing successful resources and approaches. A diversity of methodologies, teaching material, games and group activities ensured not only the active participation of all participants, but also offered the teachers a pool of good practices to utilise for their own classroom.
The project is currently developing an online depository of best practices of DE teaching material. The website with the depository will be launched in December and will be accessible at www.developmenteducation.info. Additionally, a wiki-portal has been set up as a tool to connect teachers across Europe at http://globalconnections.wetpaint.com. Any teacher or educator can register and participate in discussions or share interesting and successful teaching material, links and other success stories.
For more information, please contact the project coordinator.