Sankofa combines traditional storytelling techniques with digital technologies so that pupils gain skills in both storytelling and digital literacy, such as online recording, editing and sharing their stories across national borders.
This is important because young people today are growing up in an increasingly globalised and media-rich world.

How the project works

Children will work with stories from their own and others’ cultures, to create new stories that will contribute to a sustainable future in our interconnected world. The themes explored through this storytelling process will include migration, gender, biodiversity, climate change and are linked to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals – also known as the Global Goals.

Developing skills in children

Sankofa will develop teachers' skills to prepare children for thinking critically about local-to-global themes and will provide all participants with the opportunities to develop language skills, digital competencies and global competencies. It enriches the Language curriculum, particularly through speaking and listening, and increased drama opportunities; it builds self-confidence, creativity, presentation skills and IT skills.

Helping teachers

This project is designed to help teachers gain skills and competences to enable children to critically engage with and make sense of the modern world. Today we are faced with complex challenges and new patterns of working life, including increased mobility and integration of ICT. Teachers are required to balance the need for core competences (eg reading, writing and speaking) along with helping children develop as independent and motivated critical learners, who are media literate and able to understand and learn from multiple perspectives.

How will the project work?

The project is running until October 2020 and will develop over time:

Autumn 2019
– teachers are trained in storytelling methodology and using the Learning Guide, begin to work with children - examining traditional stories from a range of cultures and practising storytelling techniques. They build critical thinking skills and examine stories from the past and present day to understand underlying values, perspectives and world views.
Spring 2020
– Teachers are trained in digital technologies so that pupils gain skills in online recording, editing and can share their ideas digitally with schools in partner countries. Children create new stories about their vision of the future that will contribute to a sustainable, interconnected world. Resources are available for all teachers outside the project to use.
Summer 2020
– the finished stories from schools in each country are made public on the Sankofa website and a storytelling festival takes place in each partner country.
Autumn 2020
– the tried and tested Learning Guide and Toolkit are displayed on Sankofa website along with the stories for other teachers and schools in all countries to use and enjoy.

The Sankofa Partners

A partnership approach

Sankofa is being made possible by a collaboration of four organisations:
  • Cumbria Development Education Centre (CDEC) in the UK
  • Global Learning London, London, UK
  • SEVER from the Czech Republic
  • SOSNA from Slovakia
This transnational approach is a vital element in the project; children will build and share stories together through an interactive site and learn across countries and cultures through collaboration and new perspectives. Ten schools are involved with each partner, with pupils ranging from eight to 13 years in age.

CDEC

CDEC is a small, Cumbria-based organisation with a big heart, an established track record and big ambitions to influence and promote global citizenship throughout Cumbria, the UK and the world. We are well known for providing excellent global learning training to teachers and opportunities for schools and communities to be involved with P4C, the Sustainable Development Goals and the wide-ranging projects that we deliver.
We believe that Cumbria is a beacon for global citizenship.
https://www.cdec.org.uk/

SOSNA

SOSNA association was established in 1992, and its main activities are focused from the very beginning on environmental education, counselling and promotion of sustainable solutions in practice. In 2009 we opened our educational and demonstration Eco Centre, as the place for promoting sustainable life, for wide public. SOSNA Eco Centre is serving as a functional demonstration of ecological, healthy, aesthetic, low-cost and low-energy buildings with natural gardens.
https://www.sosna.sk

SEVER

The Environmental Education Centre SEVER Horní Maršov o.p.s. was founded in 2012 and it continues and builds on activities of its only founder Středisko ekologické výchovy a etiky Rýchory – SEVER (later in this document as „parent organization“). The parent organization works in the field of practical environmental education and raising public environmental awareness for over 20 years (from year 1994).
https://sever.ekologickavychova.cz/

Global Learning London

Global Learning London works with children, young people and their wider communities, to cultivate optimism and action for a more just and sustainable world. We believe that a kinder, more equitable world is possible, one where people and planet thrive to their full potential and beyond. Global Learning London works together with teachers and schools to open up spaces for learning and enquiry into how to be better facilitators for our children’s growth and where global perspectives and indigenous wisdoms are central. We create workshops, festivals and encounters to forge connections between children, young people and their local communities. We ensure families, small local businesses, and community are part of the conversation, and that children’s voices flow into them, and are amplified within them. We plant seeds for learner-led projects, then move out of the way and cheer them on as they grow. We seek to create environments where we are all learners – where power is truly shared. For more information visit www.globallearninglondon.org