The British Council International School Award (ISA) is a motivational framework that guides schools through their international work and supports the school in embedding international learning into the curriculum. Working towards providing students and teachers with a new perspective on the world, and the skills to work in a global economy, it prepares the youth for a life in a global society by increasing their understanding of other countries and cultures and embedding international learning in their curricula. It also provides a motivational framework for teachers to develop themselves professionally, while adding an international dimension to their skills.

Schools Online Projects focus on curriculum based learning and offer a structured approach for schools to work more closely together on collaborative projects with schools from around the world. The learning resources combine classroom work with online discussions in a structured format. This allows students to move into deeper discussions and share their learning through different arenas.

Following are the projects under ISA:

Collaborative Project

A collaborative project is carried out by a school collaboratively with a global partner school on a project related to their curriculum. The main purpose of this project is to enhance creativity, pupil motivation, and team work through amicably understanding one another’s perspective.

A collaborative project is done with a partner school anywhere around the world. The students of the two schools involved decide on a project related to their curriculum, come to an agreement on what areas to cover and finally conduct their specific research and exchange their works with each other. The projects help students in understanding each other’s perspectives on the topics chosen mutually, in analysing each other’s creativity and in building up team work.

Collaborative Project on Schools Online

Collaborative project on Schools Online is jointly implemented by two partner schools on a virtual ‘Project Space’ in the Schools Online Portal. It enables the students to develop ICT skills through virtual interaction with peers from around the world.

This project has to be jointly done by two partner schools on a Project Space in the Schools Online Portal, which is provided after requests are sent by both the schools. Through the process, they can view each other’s work and learn at the same time. A project space is a virtual platform where you and your partner school can discuss and plan your project, as well as upload documents and multimedia files.

You can also share your students’ work with your partners. The project space is secure and only accessible to members. The project is aimed at developing the ICT skills of the pupils, by viewing each other’s work virtually and staying connected.

20 percent Local Curriculum Project

As part of ISA, it is mandatory to conduct at least 40 sessions covering a local topic to better understand the local culture and context where schools and communities are based. Local curriculum development process enables schools to be responsive to their students’ and communities’ educational needs and interests.

It is always important to know oneself in order to know others. Taking at least 40 classes and covering a topic related to local Identity and comparing it with other different localities is the main purpose of this project.

A topic related to local identity, culture and festival are chosen and various activities are done solely or with a partner school together so that it can also be included in the 20 percent evaluation bases of the participating schools.

The purpose of this project is highlighting the local culture and identity, teaching the child to face the challenges of the local community today and to take on the role of active and responsible citizens.

In-School Project

In–School Project is a project undertaken by the participating schools where they embed international dimension in their local curriculum.

An In-School Project is chosen by the participating school in order to bring in an international dimension to the curriculum followed by their school. It offers a structured interaction among pupils with specific discussion topics, activities and a final ‘product’ that shares the learning and helps build a better environment in the school. The purpose of this project is to encouraging interaction among peers and to in developing teamwork. In addition, it also aims at enriching students with creative thinking skills.

Supplementary Project

Supplementary project creates a platform for pupils to becomeactive global citizens by becoming more aware about global issues that do not feature in their curriculum. Supplementary Project can either be undertaken independently or with a partner school.

Although it falls under one of the compulsory projects, schools are given the flexibility of choosing whether to conduct the project solely or collaboratively with a partner school. It encourages students to become more involved and participate in activities which can help to bring about positive change both locally and globally. The purpose of this project is to develop a conscious awareness about international issues and enable the students to feel part of a larger global world. It’s also aims at encouraging the awareness of situations which go far beyond the text book, and link different disciplines and languages.

Public State Partnership Project

Public State Partnership Project solicits the involvement of a wider community by working closely with an alternative private or public school. This project enables students to share ideas and express themselves and acquire the feeling of compassion, respect, belongingness and togetherness.

Project undertaken in collaboration with a public school within the country, if it is a private school participating and vice versa, is called a Public State Partnership project.It provides a platform for the pupils of those two

schools to work together to develop and share ideas and to use each other as a resource by providing a new perspective on issues.

This project aims at involving a wider community in the project. It also sensitises children and develops their empathetic skills so that they may be more compassionate towards all sentient beings.