International Links at Aquinas College

There are many aspects to International Links at Aquinas College and any student (or member of staff!) can get involved, independently of which subjects they study. As English is the official language of Comenius (projects for secondary schools funded by the EU), you do not need to speak a foreign language at all. Also, many of our exchanges are open to all students, as we strongly believe that contact with students and teachers from a wide range of countries is extremely beneficial, as well as exciting and interesting not just for those directly involved, but for the entire College community.
 
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Euroweek is coming to Aquinas in 2011!
Euroweek is an exceptional Comenius Project, which is unique in the EU. Aquinas College has been a part of this project since early 2006 (the project has existed since 1996), and the next delegation of Aquinas staff and students will travel to Slovakia this October (2009).  In this project which is a week-long celebration of all things European: debates, drama / art workshops, sightseeing, and much traditional culture and food, Aquinas College represents the UK, and eight students and two teachers attend a week-long festival in a different country every first week of October. There, they meet with their fellows from all other EU member states. We are very excited to be hosting this prestigious event which will truly involve the whole college community as we welcome up to 216 students and 54 teachers. There will be loads of ways in which staff and students can get involved with students enriching their experience of studying at Aquinas college and adding valuable weight to their UCAS applications of CVs.  Euroweek 2011 is going to be the BIGGEST, best ever thing to come to Aquinas College, to Stockport, to the North West. And you could be a part of it all.

Students Exchange
The College has a range of exchanges with partner schools. For students studying modern foreign languages, there are opportunities to take part in exchanges with schools in Germany, France and Italy and students following these courses are encouraged to participate in this valuable experience.

The French Exchange (a must for anyone studying AS level French) involves our partner, Lycée in Andernos-les-Bains, 30 miles west of Bordeaux on the Atlantic coast.

The German Exchange (a must for anyone with GCSE German or studying AS/A2 level German) involves our two partner schools, Robert Mayer Gymnasium and Gustav von Schmoller Wirtschaftsgymnasium, both in Heilbronn.

There are also exchanges, which are not related to the Modern Foreign Languages department, which are open to all students. These are:

• The Romanian Exchange with our partner school in Arad (the Romanian students involved speak excellent English and Aquinas students have found the Romanians to be extremely hospitable).
• The Dutch Exchange with our partner school in Dongen (the school has two official languages, Dutch and English, and many of their classes are taught in English).
• The Italian Exchange with our partner school near Venice is open to all students.

All exchanges and Comenius Projects involve students staying with a host family, which means you will really experience life as it is lived in another country. Frequently, you will be asked to host your exchange partner on their visit to Stockport and you will end up making friends for life.

As many of these programmes receive funding, we try to keep the costs as low as possible, so anyone can take part.

Work Experience Abroad
There are opportunities for students to take part in a work experience programme during the French Exchange and through Stockport’s German partner town of Heilbronn, there is the opportunity to work in Germany for up to four weeks during the summer vacation period.

Aquinas Romanian Scholarship
Every year one or sometimes two students from the Romanian partner college will study at the College. Two students from previous years have completed A levels and won scholarships to Oxford University.

Japan
Since 1995 the College has been providing courses connected to Japanese language and culture, which have developed into GCSE, AS and A2 courses in Japanese Language, as well as Japanese cultural and language courses in Complementary Studies.

Aquinas College has a partnership with Fukuoka Jo Gakuin University Junior College (in Fukuoka, south-western Japan), which has seen staff from Jo Gakuin visit Aquinas, as well as a small scale exchange involving two Japanese and two British students. In June 2006, two Aquinas students went to Fukuoka for the first time and in September 2006, two Japanese students stayed at Aquinas College for three weeks. This has been repeated in June and September 2007, and will hopefully continue in 2008.

Foreign Assistants
Currently there are Foreign Language Assistants from France, Germany, and Spain at College. There is also a Japanese Assistant, who runs language as well as cultural classes and similarly a Chinese Assistant (on secondment from teaching in China) who runs language classes in Mandarin Chinese and cultural classes.

India
In October 2003 the Aquinas-India Partnership was set up to help underprivileged children in Mumbai. Working primarily with the charity Prem Dan (“Gift of Love” in Hindi), we have sponsored children and provided funds for a social worker. We have also established links with St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai, as well as regularly holding fundraising events.  These have helped to sponsor children, and contributed towards the costs for a home for orphans.  We have worked with children from the streets and slums.

Each February for the past four years we have taken a group of students to work with the children at Prem Dan schools in Mumbai, particularly the Garden School in Colaba.  May 2005 saw Sister Patricia (who is in charge of Prem Dan) visit Aquinas College to thank us for our support.  We have also taken a party of teachers to work with the children in Mumbai.

We have supported the Garden School with materials and for the past two years provided a hot mid day meal for children at Reay Road school.  We usually have two or three students each year undertaking a gap placement working at the Garden School for up to three months.

Currently we co-ordinate the sponsorship for some 60 children.  The sponsors are individual Aquinas staff and students as well as former students and friends of the college.

Aquinas College students continue to work to raise funds for the AIP throughout the academic year.  Further information may be obtained on request from aip@aquinas.ac.uk
Other International Events at Aquinas College

• Performing Arts Trip to Barcelona - Annually, in July, performing arts students, including Dance and Drama students, attend a course in Barcelona.
• Spanish Study Trip to Andalucia - Starting in July 2010, students of AS/A2 Spanish will visit this fascinating and beautiful area of Spain.
• Conservation work for Environmental Science - Students studying Environmental Science have the opportunity to take part in a conservation project. In previous years this has involved saving leather backed turtles in Costa Rica and most recently in 2008 the project was in Tobago. In Summer 2011 a group will travel to the Philippines for a conservation diving project for 4 weeks.
• Politics Visit to New York - Politics conference - United Nations New York - March 2010.  Every two years  both AS and A2 politics students have the opportunity to take part in a visit to New York, engaging in a range of activities, one of which is an international conference, discussing global issues such as peace, security  and poverty. 
• Sports Tour - The sports department are planning a new tour to start in the summer of 2010 - watch this space for developments.
• Anglo-French/German fellowship programme - This lets A level students of any of the main modern foreign languages improve a range of skills, for example: writing project proposal, liaising in two languages, conducting research (often interviews) in the foreign language, writing a final report for the British Council, and, most importantly, learning to live in another culture.'

The most recent student to take part in this programme commented as follows:

‘This February I was lucky enough to be whisked off to France for two weeks. From flights to ice cream at Andernos-Les-Bains, the entire trip was sponsored by a British Council student fellowship programme. Going beyond foreign exchanges, my fortnight in France allowed me to immerse myself in the language, working on a project of my choice, without English speakers’

Recent additions to the international programme:

AS History
Trip to Krakow/Auschwitz in early February for 4 days.  (The trip is directly related to the 'Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust' unit.)

Classical Civilisation
Trip to Rome/Pompeii the week before Easter for 6 days. (Directly related to AS Classical Civilisation- Roman Architecture and Town Planning unit- but also open to all Classical Civilisation and Archaeology students in lower and upper sixth.)

International Links at Home
Even if you are not sure about travel and would rather stay in the cosy environs of Stockport, you can still benefit from the college’s extensive international links.

Euroweek
The Euroweek project especially needs students to contribute to the preparations, such as the designing of t-shirts, the production of presentation materials (often a short film to be shown at the opening festival) etc.

International Publications
Also, as a part of the Comenius projects, there is an annual international Comenius Magazine, to which students can contribute. In 2003 – 2004 Aquinas College was responsible for the production of the Magazine, and since then Aquinas students have always contributed to the subsequent issues of the Comenius Magazine.

You can read issues of the Comenian Magazine and The Comenian newsletter in the College LRC or click on the downloads at the bottom of this page.

There is an International Links notice board put up in the main corridor between the Student Reception and the Staff Room. On it, you will find information about the latest international events, as well as details as to how you can take part.