Building BRIDGES

Central to many international connections including BRIDGE Partnerships is the capacity to spend time in-country and experience the culture and daily life of your partner teacher and school.   Like many organisations in 2020, AEF pivoted all program activities to virtual as and such, 30 BRIDGE Partnerships have never met in person and have built their connections virtually. A huge success of 2020 and 2021, Sapna Bakshi from Suncity School in India and Daniel McCaughney from Traralgon College, in eastern Victoria provide an example of this as they discuss how they built their partnership online.   We also speak to Chris Higgins, AEF’s Manager of Education Design about digital pedagogy and about how AEF supports teachers to use digital tools in their partnerships. 

Central to many international connections including BRIDGE Partnerships is the capacity to spend time in-country and experience the culture and daily life of your partner teacher and school. Like many organisations in 2020, AEF pivoted all program activities to virtual as and such, 30 BRIDGE Partnerships have never met in person and have built their connections virtually. A huge success of 2020 and 2021, Sapna Bakshi from Suncity School in India and Daniel Mc Caughney from Traralgon College, in eastern Victoria provide an example of this as they discuss how they built their partnership online. We also speak to Chris Higgins, AEF’s Manager of Education Design about digital pedagogy and about how AEF supports teachers to use digital tools in their partnerships. 

The impact of COVID-19 has brought into the spotlight the importance of teacher and student wellbeing. In this episode, we speak to teachers from SMP Progressif Bumi Shalawat school in Indonesia and Mercy College in Melbourne about the exchanges that have taken place between their schools and about how student wellbeing became a feature of their partnership.  We also talk to Indonesian academic Dr Tina Dahlan from Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia about wellbeing, as well as the positive effects mindfulness can have for teachers and students. 

The impact of COVID-19 has brought into the spotlight the importance of teacher and student wellbeing. In this episode, we speak to teachers from SMP Progressif Bumi Shalawat school in Indonesia and Mercy College in Melbourne about the exchanges that have taken place between their schools and about how student wellbeing became a feature of their partnership.  We also talk to Indonesian academic Dr Tina Dahlan from Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia about wellbeing, as well as the positive effects mindfulness can have for teachers and students. 

In this episode, we speak to teachers from Khamthieng Anussorn School, Thailand and Marrickville Public School in Sydney about how their BRIDGE School Partnership uses the arts and creativity to connect their students and promote intercultural understanding Later in the episode, we speak to host the ABC TV’s Art Works program, Namila Benson about the importance of the arts in intercultural understanding, as well as meet Sarah Fang-Ning Lin & Lily Feiner from the National Gallery of Victoria’s Learn team, who speak to us about the ways they support teachers incorporating art into their classrooms.

The sharing of culture, stories and art is central to building authentic international connections and provides fun and meaningful ways to connect classrooms.   In this episode, we speak to Maytawadee Wongsunthon from Khamthieng Anussorn School, Thailand and Andrew Kell from Marrickville Public School in Sydney about how their BRIDGE School Partnership uses the arts and creativity to connect their students and promote intercultural understanding  Later in the episode, we speak to host the ABC TV’s Art Works program, Namila Benson about the importance of the arts in intercultural understanding, as well as meet Sarah Fang-Ning Lin & Lily Feiner from the National Gallery of Victoria’s Learn team, who speak to us about the ways they support teachers incorporating art into their classrooms.

In the first episode of the second series of Building BRIDGES, Hamish Curry talks about how the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals support BRIDGE school partnerships. We also speak to Jack Treby from Indooroopilly State High School in Queensland and Tavau Aloseta from Fetuvalu Secondary School in Tuvalu about their partnerships and how the Sustainable Development goals underpin their work.  

In the first episode of the second series of Building BRIDGES, former AEF Executive Director Hamish Curry talks about the importance of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals in education priorities and in-classroom application across the Asia-Pacific region and for BRIDGE School Partnerships  Looking at an Australia-Pacific BRIDGE School Partnership, Jack Treby from Indooroopilly State High School in Queensland and Tavau Aloseta from Fetuvalu Secondary School in Tuvalu discuss their 2021 BRIDGE Partnerships and how the Sustainable Development goals underpin their work including in areas of student leadership, global connections and sustainability.   Utilising a traditional Tuvaluan phrase meaning my home/my house, ‘Toku Fale’ is the name of the initial BRIDGE Partnership activity and is central to the partnership in exchange of Australian and Tuvaluan cultures.  

Simon Rilua, Principal of Mercy School in Honiara, Solomon Islands and St Edmund College, Canberra teacher Leigh Southwell built their professional relationship on collaboration. In this episode, we hear about how they work together and about how Simon’s visit to Donella Walker's geography class at St Edmund's College inspired an investigation into the water issues in Honiara. 

Enjoy the preview for Episode 4 of BuildingBRIDGES: They Wouldn't Have Gone Otherwise with Australia-Pacific BRIDGE educators from St Edmund's College, Canberra and Mercy Christian School, Honiara discussing how collaboration underpins their partnership and how Simon Rilaua's from Mercy Christian School visit to a geography class in Canberra inspired an investigation into the water issues in Honiara.

In response to the disruption of the pandemic, students from SMA Muhammadiyah in Indonesia and Lorne P-12 College in Victoria turned to collaborative podcasting to continue their relationship. Students from both schools talk about this experience and give insights into intercultural learning.

Selamat mendengarkan cuplikan episode 3 dari BuildingBRIDGES: Always in the Present dengan siswa dari Kemitraan Sekolah BRIDGE Australia-Indonesia antara SMA Muhammadiyah 2 Surabaya dan Lorne P-12 College. Diskusi ini akan bercerita mengenai pengalaman mereka sebagai siswa BRIDGE dalam berkolaborasi melalui podcast terkait COVID-19 dan pembelajaran interkultural. Cuplikan ini dalam Bahasa Indonesia.

Enjoy the preview for Episode 3 of BuildingBRIDGES: Always in the Present with students of the Australia-Indonesia BRIDGE School Partnership between SMA Muhammadiyah 2 Surabaya and Lorne P-12 College. Discussions explore  their experiences as a BRIDGE students, collaborative activities such as podcasting in response to COVID-19 and intercultural learning. Preview in English.

Denis Zucchet and Jheny Vilacruz talk about how Jheny’s visit to St Monica’s Epping inspired the formation of a social justice group at her school in the Philippines. Marianne Theodosis and Blesilda Necio share how their online magazine KAIBIGAN connects their students across the curriculum and Sid Bagh reflects on how intercultural and interfaith learning benefits their students and school community. 

Enjoy the preview for Episode 2 of BuildingBRIDGES: We Can Never Know What's Possible with Australia-ASEAN BRIDGE educators from St Monica's College Epping and Moreno Integrated School exploring student leadership, collaboration and exchange in an interfaith partnership. 

Principal Gillian Stuart and Bilingual Program Coordinator Karl Krause from Scotts Head Public School discuss the challenges and successes of their bilingual Indonesian program and how they advocate for intercultural learning in their community and beyond.