The Orsha school became the fifth educational institution in the republic to sign an agreement with the Goethe Institute.

Last year, students of Secondary School No. 20 in Orsha gained a unique opportunity to study the German language as part of the "Schools: Partners for the Future" initiative. This is the fifth educational institution in the republic to sign a cooperation agreement with the Goethe-Institut. The prerequisite for this was the successful operation of the Resource Centre for the German Language "Formation of a Fund of Audiovisual and Interactive Teaching Aids for Conducting Educational and Extracurricular Activities in German" at the school.

The project itself became a logical continuation of the active work initiated by the school's teachers to popularize the German language in the city and opened up broad prospects for those who seriously decided to study not only the language itself but also the culture and history of Germany. An exciting trip for a group of Orsha schoolchildren and their teachers to Germany and Austria, a beneficial stay in children's language camps in Germany and Lithuania, and professional development for German language teachers in the partner country are just the first steps in the cooperation.

The beginning of this academic year has also been very productive for Secondary School No. 20. In September, a team from the Goethe-Institut, along with ecologist Annett Thiele from Berlin, conducted a creative workshop on environmental issues entitled "Green Schools" for students in grades 8-11. High school students learned about alternative energy sources in Belarus and Germany and created their own "ecosystems." The best one will be selected by German environmental experts in the spring.

Eighth-graders Lyubov Ivanova and Alina Rozhanskaya received their first diplomas at the Johannes Rau Minsk International Educational Centre, taking second place in the "Resourceful Testers" competition among participants from partner schools across the republic.

As part of the cooperation, the Goethe-Institut donated a collection of German-language literature, "LeWiS," to the educational institution. Now, students have the opportunity not only to read informative books but also to win various prizes by correctly completing tasks in an online quiz.

The study of the language at school begins with a hare named Hans. Younger students love this cartoon character and look forward to his visits at every lesson. The project "German with Hans the Hare" was developed by the Goethe-Institut. According to Irina Belyakova, a top-category German language teacher, it opens up great opportunities for teachers to break down language barriers in primary school students, and awakens a keen interest in the foreign language among the children themselves. Lessons with Hans take place in an atmosphere close to a natural language environment – during lessons, children dance, sing, draw, craft, and listen to fairy tales. Thus, children's creative abilities are revealed, and their sense of language is developed.

What is the project "Schools: Partners for the Future" and what prospects does it open up for schoolchildren?

The project was launched by an initiative of the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. His goal was to form an international network that would unite a thousand partner schools and promote a deeper interest and appreciation among young people for modern Germany and its society. The Federal Foreign Office of Germany acted as the coordinator, and the initiative is jointly implemented by the Central Agency for Schools Abroad, the Goethe-Institut, the Pädagogischer Austauschdienst (Pedagogical Exchange Service), and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The project significantly expands the existing network of German schools abroad and accredited institutions that award the «German Language Diploma», creates opportunities for closer cooperation between educational institutions, strengthens the position of German as a foreign language, and provides a variety of support forms for a number of schools. Supplementary educational programs contribute to the consistent improvement of the quality of teaching for pupils and the qualifications of teachers, thereby expanding opportunities for young people to pursue higher education in Germany and for professional development. The quota for full scholarships for graduates of German schools abroad and partner schools in the network is doubled. The international prize program allows a larger number of students to visit Germany and get to know the country firsthand for several weeks. The Goethe-Institut supports schools selected through a competitive process in introducing German as a subject of study and improving teaching. For teachers, professional development events are held on methodology and didactics, as well as language proficiency improvement courses using multimedia, teaching, and cultural materials. Within the framework of the initiative, the Goethe-Institut sends expert methodologists to partner schools worldwide.

The “Schools: Partners for the Future” initiative offers a unique opportunity for early learning of the German language and familiarization with the cultural space of Germany. Knowing German allows not only to communicate with 100 million people on their native language, but it is also a prerequisite for continuing education at one of the German universities and for further professional career development on an international scale.

Olga Lebedeva, "Vitebskiye Vesti"