Our education, society and arts projects have been a real success involving schools, education experts, cultural institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture. Here's some of our recent success stories...
Active Citizens
The Active Citizens programme aimed to bring about sustainable social change within communities by establishing a global network of leaders. Our purpose was to increase the contribution of community leaders towards achieving sustainable development both locally and globally.
We worked with people who had already demonstrated local social responsibility, including youth workers, women’s groups, educators and faith leaders. We offered these participants training to develop their leadership skills and provide them the chance to gain a global perspective on social development.
Learn more about the programme and be inspired by the achievements of our Active Citizens on the Active Citizens website.
Connecting Classrooms
In November 2010 we launched Connecting Classrooms in Slovakia. The main themes of Connecting Classrooms in Europe were inclusion, international dimension in education, student voice and encouraging students to take responsibility in their schools and communities. This project built lasting partnerships between groups of schools in the UK and in over 60 countries around the world.
Through these partnerships, the programme developed understanding and trust between young people in different societies, creating a safer and more connected world for the future.
Our partner was the Ministry of Education and the Methodology Centre. Thirteen schools from all over Slovakia participated and worked in cluster with schools from the UK, Germany and Serbia.
"I've realised I can step back and let the students act and develop their own ideas. Within the life of the project I saw them get so much more mature, become more sensitive to the community issues and willing to do something about those issues." Lucia Hrušková, teacher at Gymnázium J. Lettricha in Martin, Slovakia.
Read more about the Connecting Classrooms project globally.
Creative Economy
The British Council’s Creative Economy team forges connections between the growing creative and cultural industries in the UK and worldwide. In Slovakia, we partnered with people who explored the frontiers between culture, enterprise and technology, including award-winning fashion and textile designer Dana Kleinert (founder of the Slovak Fashion Council). We aimed to tell the stories of these pioneers to institutions, policy-makers and investors so that they can better understand their value and how best to work with them.
Young Creative Entrepreneur
The Young Creative Entrepreneur (YCE) programme identified and connected a global group of emerging creative pioneers and innovators. The programme has identified new leaders whose influence grows beyond their businesses.
Past entrepreneurs include:
- Ridwan Kamil, who is now Mayor of Indonesia creative powerhouse city Bandung
- Uche Pedro was named one of Africa’s leading young entrepreneurs by Forbes magazine in 2013
- Dana Kleinert used contacts made during the YCE tour and founded the Slovak Fashion Council.
You can find out more about the Creative Economy programme globally on our Creative Economy website.