Global Connections

Shell Geographers have the chance to learn about the partnership regions from video interviews and presentations from recent Old Canfordians who had visited the schools and orphanages whilst at Canford.

As pupils move up into the Fourth and Fifth Form years they take on the United World Schools Global Citizenship Challenge whereby they must plan, design and fund a partner school, in either Cambodia, Nepal or Burma. They learn valuable decision making skills as well as a deeper understanding of the physical and human layers which make each country’s opportunities and challenges so unique. Through their Connections programme they also put together an e-newsletter to be exchanged with our Argentina partnership destination, the Hogar el Alba, a children’s home on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

During the Sixth Form, pupils have the opportunity to visit the Canford partnership projects in Cambodia, Argentina, Ghana and India as well as pupil exchanges and collaborative projects with our link schools in Princeton, U.S. and India.

It was very much a place of hope, and it was inspiring to see how much volunteering and financial support can contribute." Lower Sixth pupil

The new Global Connections programme aims to give all pupils the chance to engage with complex global challenges and explore the links between their own lives and people, places and issues throughout the world. They will learn to understand the global context of their local lives and will develop skills and understanding that will enable them to make informed decisions about how they can play an active role in their local and global community, both now and looking ahead to the future. 

Five interactive sessions have been developed by staff with specific areas of expertise, ranging from journalism to previous involvement in the military. It is this personalised element which makes these sessions so unique - there is nothing quite like being taught by someone who has ‘been there and done that’!

Fourth Form Global Connections Programme in action

As part of the Global Connections Programme our Fourth Form pupils created and sent an activity booklet to children at the Hogar el Alba orphanage, our Argentina partnership destination. Unfortunately due to covid-19 travel restrictions our annual partnership trips have not been able to go ahead for the past two years, therefore, providing the activity booklet was a great opportunity for Canford pupils and children at the orphanage to feel connected. Plans are already in place for another booklet to be produced based on the theme of 'Countries around the World.' Below are some photographs of the children from Hogar enjoying their time completing the activities in their new booklets.

We want to provide pupils with opportunities to explore and express entrepreneurial thinking, focused on enterprises which address global issues or businesses which are global in nature.

In the Sixth Form pupils have the opportunity to attend Global Enterprise workshops where they gain valuable insight from local entrepreneurs. For example, they recently had the privilege of working with Ben Gibbons, CEO of greenbrickventures, a new start-up company focused on turning plastic waste into high quality crafted home and garden products. Ben guided pupils through the practicalities of business start-ups and pupils have been challenged to see that corporate profit does not always have to be at the detriment of community relationships or the environment.

It was fascinating to hear about a positive initiative outside of the corporate world, from someone who is passionate about their work." Tom, Lower Sixth pupil

I found it eye-opening to learn about business in real time from someone experiencing it with a fresh up-to-date opinion on it." Sam, Lower Sixth Pupil