Connect for Change

Shaping Global Educational Partnerships and Projects for Change

Project duration: 01.01.2019-31.12.2020

What role do educational  partnerships play in driving change? How can we learn from one another and take action together? How can educational partnerships be designed to encourage active participation, engagement, and solidarity for an ecological and social transformation? The project Connect for Change addressed these and other questions in various workshops, project visits and a conference - together with people from the Global North and the Global South who are active in global educational partnerships in schools and civil society.

The “Connect for Change” Conference
In October 2019, an international conference was held at the International House Sonnenberg in Germany. It brought together 120 participants – students, teachers, representatives of civil society organizations and public administration, and other active stakeholders from Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America – all involved in international education partnerships and projects. They exchanged best practices, reflected on the content and structures of existing partnerships, and explored ways for young people and adults to actively participate and act in solidarity.

International Delegations and Field Visits
Sixteen experts from the Global South – including school partnership representatives from Lower Saxony, members of the Learn2Change network, and participants from other non-formal partnerships – were specially invited to take part in the project. Before the conference, these guests joined a multi-day study tour to visit schools, non-formal learning spaces, and NGOs in Lower Saxony actively engaged in educational partnerships.

From Dialogue to Practice: A Handbook for Shaping Education Partnerships
After the conference, the international guests collaborated with educators and civil society multipliers during a three-day evaluation meeting. Together, they identified key success factors for effective and transformative educational partnerships. The insights and outcomes of the conference, the field visits, and the evaluation seminar were compiled into a practical handbook. This publication supports the initiation, implementation, and further development of educational partnerships and projects in the context of Global Learning.