Schools and students from across Wales have picked up awards for their international work in the classroom.
The awards were presented at the International Awards Ceremony at the Wales Millennium Centre on 26 February 2015.
The annual awards reward excellent teaching with an international dimension in Welsh schools and colleges.
The awards are organised by British Council Wales and sponsored by the Welsh Government as part of the British Council International Education Programme
Director of British Council Wales, Jenny Scott, said: “The International Awards highlight the successes of schools and colleges that are helping their students take their place as global citizens.
“It’s important for schools and colleges to bring an international dimension to their classrooms. We believe that giving young people an international perspective helps encourage them to become global citizens, giving them a window onto new cultures and countries, as well as sparking an interest in learning languages.
“International projects are also beneficial to teachers, introducing them to new practices and perspectives.”
Winners included Bridgend College, taking the Dolen Arts Award for their work around Fairtrade and their Fairtrade inspired hip hop song ‘In My Shoes’ and Coleg y Cymoedd was awarded the Colegau Cymru International Award for the college’s work to encourage student exchanges and partnerships with European colleges.
Kathryn Bishop, International Officer at Coleg y Cymoedd, said: “Coleg y Cymoedd are privileged to receive the Colegau Cymru International Award for the third year running. The experiences that we offer staff and students has strengthened our international links, and allowed us to form long standing partnerships which enrich both the curriculum and the learners’ experience.”
At the awards ceremony pupils were able to take part in a number of workshops, including slam poetry with Wales’ young people’s poet laureate Martin Daws and making musical instruments from recycled material with musician Francesca Dimech who has worked with street musicians in Brazil. They also had a chance to meet Polar explorer Antony Jinman and worked with artist Sharon Flint to create an artwork inspired by the annual migration of swallows from Wales to Lesotho.
This year’s awards and winners are:
CILT Cymru Best Use of International Dimension to Enhance Modern Foreign Language Teaching & Learning
This award celebrates innovative and effective use of international education to enhance learners’ experience of foreign language learning.
WINNER - Millbrook Primary School Newport for their links with schools in China, France, USA and Brunei and their work with the Mandarin language.
Connecting Classrooms Outstanding Participant
This award recognises excellence of school partnerships through the Connecting Classrooms programme.
WINNER, AFRICA - Ysgol Gyfun Plasmawr, Cardiff for their varied international work including their partnership with Moshoeshoe II High School in Lesotho.
WINNER, MIDDLE EAST- Ysgol Dinas Bran, Llangollen for their work with a school in Lebanon.
WINNER, ASIA - Coed Hirwaun Primary, Margam and Sandfields Comprehensive, Port Talbot, for their joint project which sees them twinned with six schools in Bangladesh.
Best use of Emerging Technologies to Increase International Dimension
This award celebrates the effective use of emerging technologies to improve international projects within the curriculum.
WINNERS
Argoed High School, Flintshire – for their use of technology to promote learning modern foreign languages
Maesteg Comprehensive School, Bridgend – for their use of technology to communicate with their partner schools in Uganda, Pakistan and Taiwan.
Colegau Cymru International Award
This award recognises enrichment in teaching and learning through the integration of an international dimension to the curriculum and the staff development programme for the academic year 2013/14.
WINNER - Coleg y Cymoedd, for the college’s work to encourage student exchanges and partnerships with European colleges.
Dolen Arts Award
This new award celebrates the portrayal of global themes through artistic forms such as music, visual art, creative writing and dance, and gives students the opportunity to showcase their talents during the ceremony.
WINNER - Bridgend College for their work around Fairtrade and their Fairtrade inspired hip hop song ‘In My Shoes’.
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We create international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and build trust between them worldwide.
We work in more than 100 countries and our 8,000 staff – including 2000 teachers – work with thousands of professionals and policy makers and millions of young people every year by teaching English, sharing the Arts and delivering education and society programmes.
We are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter. A core publically-funded grant-in-aid provides less than 20 per cent of our turnover which last year was £864m. The rest of our revenues are earned from services which customers around the world pay for, through education and development contracts and from partnerships with public and private organisations. All our work is in pursuit of our charitable purpose and supports prosperity and security for the UK and globally.
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