This is our Time

Time draws on various types of communication-based educational activities as part of a strategy for enabling very diverse schools to cater the programme to fit their students' needs. That is, Time offers long-term and short-term activities, online and offline, global and local. Schools develop their own curriculum-based activities with the help of an online guide that details learning objectives, time lines, participation suggestions, technical requirements, and practical information. Participants in the various activities come together on an annual "Time day". Beginning at 00:00 UTC (Universal Time Code) and for a period of 24 hours, participants go online to discuss, reflect, interact, learn and teach around a particular theme. For example, in 2005, the Time day is scheduled to take place on November 18 and will highlight the "Decade for Education for Sustainable Development" (click here for a summary of this initiative). The Time day in 2006 was scheduled for November 10. Please check the This is Our Time website for scheduling in future years.

Many Time activities use ICTs such as the internet (e.g., the Time website), email, videoconferencing, streaming video, and fax. These types of technology are used as a tool for learning and exchange through such activities as a discussion forum ("classroom twinning") and digital time travel ("time line"). Several of these projects use entertaining approaches to engage young people in intercultural learning. To highlight only two examples:

• Unite the Nations, an interactive game about and between countries, challenges students to take a closer look at their own culture as well as foreign cultures. Students create multiple-choice questions on geography, history, social issues, arts and sports in their country. Within the time-span of 24 hours they race against each other and time - using either fax, email or the internet - in answering questions on other countries. Click here for further details.
• Time for Talking Headz is a debate through comics that is designed to encourage youth worldwide to discuss controversial issues, such as the hijab (or headscarf) - "Although there is a lot of attention in the media for this issue, you rarely hear from youths themselves, there is little opportunity for them to voice their opinion and decisions." This activity uses a "speechbubble tool", which is offered through a dedicated website available in 3 languages (Dutch, English and French). Click here to learn more.

Based on a desire to facilitate the participation of schools with few resources, however, many of the activities are conducted through face-to-face learning exchanges, and regular mail may in some cases be used. For example, schools may foster creative thinking through the "design a clock" activity, or through local projects that invite community members to explore world issues alongside students in a forum, cultural market, sports event, or environmental action activity.

Intercultural Understanding, Education, Children, Youth.

From 1995 through 2005, over 300 schools from 80 countries participated in Time. More than 200 schools worldwide are expected to take part in Time 2005. To apply, click here. Participation in Time is free.