We at TeachPitch are very excited to announce our partnership with the leading Chinese education company, OneWorld Education. Just like ourselves, OneWorld is a company that believes education can be improved through the global exchange and collaboration of teachers, students, ideas and (online) learning resources.

In today’s climate of rising nationalism, closing borders, and increasing tension in the world, the need for education around cross-cultural awareness and understanding is greater than ever. The advent of social media and other technology means collaboration between classrooms around the world has never been easier. So how can we, as educators foster, this vital skill of global competence? The concept of global competence ‘articulates the knowledge and skills students need in the 21st century’. One approach we can take to develop this competence is through global collaborations and projects, and in this post I will explore some of the ways in which teachers can get involved to help their students become more globally-competent citizens.

Mrs Mary Morrison, our headteacher, started at Bower Park Academy with a clear vision – creating a Global Vision for the students of Collier Row, Romford. Since my arrival at Bower Park Academy in 2010, and with the help and backing of the Leadership team, the Vision has become a reality. Over the past five years, we have moved from strength to strength in securing international educational experiences for our staff and students.

I love it when a member of our school team follows through on an idea or project about which they are passionate. Passion drives innovation and this is certainly the case for our school’s Digital Learning specialist, Mrs Karen Stadler.

During the course of 2012, Karen visited the wonderful Kruger National Park with her family. A trip to a watering hole was to be a defining moment as she witnessed five magnificent rhino arrive to drink the water and wallow in the mud. She realised that within a year there was a possibility that some, if not all, of these gracious creatures may have been killed by poachers.

This realisation moved her into action and she set up a Global Classroom Project known as The Travelling Rhinos. This involved having five small rhinos, which were made and covered in traditional African Shweshwe fabric, sent to schools in South Africa, Australia, Canada, Ireland and the USA to teach pupils about the plight of the rhinos in Africa.