International Newcastle’s priority since 2020 has been to enable our city’s children and young people to gain international connections, skills and experiences, to support them to become confident, global citizens, with high aspirations and access to opportunities for their lives and careers.
We work with our partners across the city, region and UK to achieve this.
Connecting internationally
Increasing international links, experiences and opportunities for children and young people
Supporting Newcastle schools, colleges and youth organisations to develop international links and partnerships where Newcastle already has links, or with new areas around the world.
Encouraging young people and those who work with them to engage with UK, European and international programmes, projects, events and initiatives; levering support from local, regional, national partners; sharing links to funding and resources.
Creating new opportunities for children & young people, especially from disadvantaged areas, to engage and broaden their horizons, expand their perspectives and experiences, increase intercultural awareness and improve their skills and future opportunities
Examples
Turing funding: We worked with the City Council to support schools to access UK Turing funding in 2021 for international visits in 2022. 10 schools received £400,000 and we supported their new international links with schools abroad.
The scheme will open again in Spring 2022 for applications and we hope to support more schools to apply.
Supporting schools and colleges to develop new partnerships with schools in our twin city of Nancy in France. 10 new partnerships are in development and we are encouraging more. We have a strong partnership with our French colleagues and can support links and activities.
Newcastle City of Languages
Supporting language teaching and learning and take up and celebrating home languages
Partnership of local and regional partners who support or deliver Modern Foreign Languages (MFL), with input from British Council, national Embassies and their cultural institutions.
Key focus on supporting language teaching, learning and take up in schools, providing CPD for teachers and access to resources and expertise.
Support for young people to celebrate, share and gain qualifications in their own home languages and cultures.
Examples
Hosting and co-ordinating Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages – an annual festival celebrating languages and cultures in the North East and our connections to the world. Providing a wide range fun, free, interactive activities for schools, community schools, adults and communities.
Activities are provided free of charge by local, regional and national partners. Last year 12,000 children and 237 schools engaged in the week long festival. This year it launched on 1st February with region-wide participatory projects and a month of live events and pre- activities in March 2022. Click here for What’s On
Newcastle Modern Foreign Language Network for Schools: supporting engagement, peer support and access to training and opportunities for teachers, levering support from partners, including in 2021 CPD for French and Spanish teachers. Click here to find out more and get involved.
Supporting a local secondary school with native speakers to enable pupils to take GCSE language exams in their home languages
Internationalism in the City Increasing intercultural awareness and engagement and celebrating cultural diversity in the city
Promoting intercultural dialogue and awareness raising through engagement with partners and communities in the city and publicizing events and activities, ambitions and achievements.
Promoting access to activities and opportunities for and involving our diverse communities.
Examples
Promoting support for refugees and asylum seekers through Newcastle City of Sanctuary, Schools of Sanctuary and other Sanctuary activities in Newcastle.
Sharing Covd-19 toolkits and resources for diverse language and cultural communities.
Using the annual Festival of Languages as a means to engage, celebrate and profile diverse language and cultural communities, promote intercultural awareness and showcase stories and achievements at the Festival in March 2022.
Further information
Contact: Declan Baharini, Director of International Newcastle declan@internationalnewcastle.org.uk
Follow us on social media: twitter@InterNewcastle, LinkedIn and Facebook
See some of the current languages opportunities for schools and how we support international partnerships online here and find languages resources for schools here
Get involved in Express Yourself NE Festival of Languages – visit the Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages website and follow on social media: Twitter Facebook and Instagram