Scotland in the classroom: New project strengthens culture and education!

Scotland in the classroom: New project strengthens culture and education!

The University of Mainz has launched a new initiative that deals with the internationalization of teacher training in Rhineland-Palatinate. The TEACHING SCOTLAND project, supported by the Scottish Connections Fund, aims to increase the visibility of Scottish culture and literature in English language teaching. How uni-mainz.de reports, the project comes in a context that is characterized by a long-standing relationship between Rhineland-Palatinate and Scotland. A declaration of intent for cooperation in education, science, research and culture was signed in March 2021.

A significant part of this initiative is the recently signed cooperation agreement between the JGU Scotland HUB and the Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance (SULSA). This agreement focuses on life sciences, environmental sciences and biotechnology and represents an expansion of the collaboration. The “TEACHING SCOTLAND” program is intended to support teachers at secondary schools in Rhineland-Palatinate by enabling them to engage didactically with Scotland and provide further training.

Further training offers and exchange

So far, 19 teachers from Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse have already taken part in the further training courses. This includes keynote speeches from renowned scientists such as Dr. Ronnie Young and Dr. Corey Gibson from the University of Glasgow, who provided valuable insights into Scottish literature. As part of the project, initial draft lessons on Scottish literature were also developed. This is not only intended to promote understanding of cultural differences, but also to encourage students to engage with this content in English lessons.

To encourage the creation of a virtual community dedicated to Scottish culture, workshops and online meetings will continue to take place. These events are part of a wider approach to creating a community of English teachers focused on the literature and culture of Scotland, such as scotland.uni-mainz.de emphasized.

Erasmus+ and international mobility

Another relevant aspect is the European Union's Erasmus+ program, which promotes the mobility of teachers. Teachers recently had the opportunity to take part in a week-long training in Edinburgh. There they were able to discuss methods of teaching foreign languages ​​and current educational issues. This training enabled participants to experience Scottish culture up close and share their impressions in the form of a photo story. Participant Andrea Dransfeld is already planning to document her experiences in detail, while two other colleagues will travel to Scotland in October, added bsgg.net.

These national and international projects, including the upcoming St Andrew's Day at the University of Mainz and other cultural events, underline the university's ambition to offer a platform for intercultural exchange. The Scottish Connections Fund, which supports the TEACHING SCOTLAND initiative, aims to promote diversity and cultural connections between countries, thereby promoting international relations.