Project News

YSI Winners!
It was a big day on 11 May for three WorldWise schools: Pres Carlow, Moate Community School and Mount Temple Comprehensive, all of which had qualified to present their projects in the YSI Annual Forum in the "Making Our World One World" challenge category. Together with three other finalists in the category, each of the schools presented their project work and their plans for the future. Pres Carlow, who have implemented a peer learning project on HIV/AIDS in their school--based on a similar successful project in their partner school, Kaoma Community School, in Zambia--won the award. Well done to all!

Mr Austin Gormley of Irish Aid with the Pres Carlow team, proud winners in the YSI Making Our World One World category.

WorldWise School in the YSI Dragons Den!
Hot off the Press! From Mags Territ of Presenation Carlow, linked with Kaoma Community School, Kaoma, Zambia; both schools worked together on a YSI project: "Three of my YSI group pitched for funding to YSI Dragons Den this morning, for murals in Pres Carlow and Kaoma and a booklet for our peer ed programme. Brilliant results! They got fantastic feedback and €1000 funding! They did a super presentation, judges were very impressed. Most other schools we heard from, got €300 or €400. Pres really are the best! Well done Oisin, Shannon and Grace! We're delighted. Mags"

Mid-Term Irish Teacher Visits
During the mid term break in February some WorldWise Irish schools carried out visits to their partner schools.

Teachers and students from John Scottus school travelled to their partner school in Bratachari, India where they took part in a joint conference on Development Education involving both schools as well as Aikatan SS and LoretoSS Sealdah. This is the second such conference which they have been involved in as part of their WorldWise learning partnership with secondary schools in Bratachari and Aikatan. Click here for an introduction to the conference by John Alexander, report by Asit Ghosh and photos

Three teachers, Paula Goggin, Niamh Murphy and Rena Hennessy, from the Ursuline Secondary School in Cork, travelled to their partner school, St Columba's School, Kitui, Kenya. There the teachers worked with students on joint projects and planning for joint activities during a proposed student visit next year. Click here for the full report

More Partner Teacher Visits

There were a further five visits in November by teachers from partner schools: John Scottus School Dublin hosted a teacher from Bratachari School,India, Santa Sabina School Sutton hosted two teachers from Masongola SS, Malawi, Regina Mundi College Cork hosted two teachers from Dahon High School, Lesotho, St Thomas Community College, Bray hosted two teachers from Malithuso High School, Lesotho and finally Rockbrook Park School Dublin hosted two teachers from John Paul II School, Nairobi in the midst of all the snow and ice at the end of November

Irish Teacher Visits
In October, it's the turn of the Irish Teachers to travel to their partners: teachers from Moate Community School, Mountrath Community School, Presentation SS Ballingarry and St Brendan's Community Schol, Offaly are heading off to visit their partners in Kenya, India and Vietnam. See Where we are for details of partners and locations.

Partner Teacher Visits
No fewer than six Partner Teacher Visits took place to WorldWise schools in September. Three St Louis schools--in Monaghan, Carrickmacross and Rathmines--welcomed partner teachers from Louisville High School in Ogun, Nigeria, St Louis Jubilee Secondary School in Kumasi, Ghana, and St Louis Secondary School in Kano, Nigeria. Schull Community College hosted their partners from Emmanuel High School in Leribe, Lesotho; St Aloysius hosted teachers from their partner Mutito Girls Secondary School, Kenya and finally North Presentation, Farenree welcomed their partner teachers from Sacred Heart Secondary School, Chennai, India.

Students and teachers from Louisville High School in Ogun, Nigeria, not only spent time with their peers in St Louis SS, Monaghan, but they also met Minister Peter Power in the Irish Aid Centre at the launch of the Irish Aid Annual Report 2009.

WorldWise schools get started on 2010/11 partnership projects
Irish schools and networks are still officially on holidays, but many of them have started work on their WorldWise partnership projects with their partner schools and networks in advance of September, by organising their teacher visits to and from Ireland. Click here for: guidelines for teacher visits or partnership agreement template - the required outcome of any WorldWise teacher visit.

Irish Teacher Visits
Three WorldWise schools started their project work in the summer time with three Irish teacher visits taking place: Louise Lawlor, Susan Lawlor and Laura Doak of Mount Temple Comprehensive School visited their partner school Joy Standard College, Kumasi, Ghana; Una Padden and Peter Dempsey of Scoil Mhuire in Clane visited their partner, Green Acres, Kalomo, Zambia; and Tom Parke and Peter Kearey of Wilson's Hospital visited Glen Edward Secondary School in South Africa.

The Icelandic ash-cloud provided some nail-biting moments for partner teachers making the journey to Ireland on WorldWise visits from schools in Uganda, Kenya and Zambia this term.

WorldWise school partnerships are starting to embrace the idea of student visits from partner schools, if this summer term has been anything to go by. Visits by groups of students from partner schools in Ghana, Zambia and Lesotho created interest, enthusiasm and huge opportunities for interaction and long-lasting friendship in each of the Irish schools they visited in Monaghan, Carlow and Kerry respectively. Check back soon for photos and feedback from the participants.

The cold snap at the start of the year provided a chilly introduction to Ireland for many of the teachers travelling here on WorldWise visits from Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, Sierra Leone and Ghana.