Today’s Learner’s are tomorrow’s leaders
Imagine how lively lessons would be if pupils and teachers regularly went online to discuss, explore and research issues such as the rainforest with pupils in Bolivia or the impact of globalisation or HIV/AIDS with pupils in Ghana and Surinam. The real world as context for learning in your classroom; the Global Teenager Project offers a rich and powerful learning environment that enables your students to practice 21st century skills in online Learning Circles.

The Global Teenager Project (GTP)
The Global Teenager Project, initiated by IICD in The Hague, Netherlands, has already turned this vision into an everyday reality for thousands of students across five continents. Since it was first launched in 1999, the GTP has grown from 3 classes to over 250. The result is a rapidly expanding virtual network of schools in both the developing and developed world and an upcoming generation of information-literate, knowledge-oriented, culturally-aware global citizens. GTP, offers basic, thematic and special Learning Circles to elementary, secondary and vocational classes including special needs education.

With ten years of experience, GTP currently includes 32 participating countries and offers collaborative global learning to over 10.000 students per year in the following six languages: Dutch, German, French, English, Spanish and Arabic. GTP learning circles are offered twice a year starting in September and February, while thematic learning circles are organized through-out the year.

Coordination of Global Teenager Project in Suriname
The coordination of the Global Teenager Project is in the hands of the iEARN Suriname Coordination team. Of this team the following persons are in charge of the coordination of GTP in Suriname
Mrs. Betty Burgos - iEARN Suriname and Global Teenager Project coördinator Suriname
Mrs. Miriam Weekers – Project facilitator for special education
Mrs. Nila Pershad -  project facilitator of iEARN Suriname

On international level as of May 2008 the Global Teenager Project is being coordinated by The Round Table Foundation, located in The Netherlands. The GTP project coordinators are Mr. Bob Hofman and Mrs. Eliane Metni; both dedicated to create innovative and meaningful learning.

Suriname in the GTP project

In 2003 and 2004 we took part in ‘GTP English’. We had 5 classes then. It was an after school program in a rural community. The students and teachers used to go to a cyber in the afternoon to contribute.

After some years of absence we are back. Last year, 2008, we had two Learning Circles with 12 classes. 7 with Special schools and 5 with regular Primary schools. The participation is now in ‘GTP Dutch’
In 2009 we participated with 18 classes. And 100% have finished the 3 Learning Circles. Two Learning Circles were “Inclusive” at the Primary level and one was “Regular” with Secondary schools. Nowadays a number of schools have been sponsored to have their own computer lab to participate in online projects.

2009 was a very good year because, 33 teachers and 7 students (10-14year) with 3 coordinators got the opportunity to visit Holland in June for a study trip of a week. This was after finishing the LC’s with success. The Dutch teachers were here in January.
Our input is always in the second part of the school year. This because of our school calendar, which starts the 1st of October and ends half of August. We have summer the whole year and the hottest months are August, September and October with an average of 34 degree Celsius. Remember we have no air conditions in our classrooms.

Sponsoring Suriname schools successful!
12 Dutch schools successfuly raised funds for the Internet connection of (SEN) Suriname Schools

During the 2010 Suriname – Curacao – Netherlands Learning Circles 48 schools worked and learned together in 7 thematic Learning Circles.
As schools in Suriname do not receive any funding for their Internet connections, 12 Dutch GTP schools took action and raised funds for a total amount raised is 2100 euro.

The Suriname ISP/Telcom Telesur sponsored new schools in GTP with an ADSL connection and two computers per school.

iEARN Suriname coordinates the Global Teenager Project in Suriname and supports schools to be on-line and fully participate. Supporting Dutch schools are:

• SPORT EN BEWEGEN ONDERWIJSSPECIALISTEN
• VSO MARIENDAEL
• MAGNOLIASCHOOL
• HET ALADON
• DE WEGWIJZER
• HET PRISMA Arnhem
• JOZEFSCHOOL
• LORENTZ Arnhem
• S.G. MARIENDAEL
• CSG HET NOORDIK
• JAC. P. THIJSSE
• ‘T WALIEN
• HIJENOORDSCHOOL