Teachers from six state primary schools participated in the Round Table Conectando Mundos international seminar in Arezzo.

The event is aimed to facilitate the exchange of ideas, problems and possible solutions between students of different geographic, cultural, economic and social realities, using ICT.

So far, 24 schools in Malta have registered: 15,694 pupils from 18 different countries participated in the 2007-2008 edition.

Three Maltese scholastic experiences were chosen to be disseminated at this year's seminar. Karen Mangion and Etienne Farrell from San Ġorġ Preca College Paola Primary School gave a powerpoint presentation on a 'year group approach' on the seminar's second day.

Maria Montebello from St Benedict's College Għaxaq Primary School participated in a workshop by presenting a paper entitled 'Creative approaches to global citizenship education with young children'. Marisa Pace outlined the project entitled 'Climate change' carried out this year at Maria Regina College, Għargħur Primary School in another workshop during the three-day seminar.

Conectando Mundos began in the 2004-2005 scholastic year, and the project was impelled within the framework of the Conectando Mundos Consortium the following year. This initiative is part of the more ample strategy of promotion of the global citizenship by European organisations like Ucodep (Italy), CIDAC (Portugal), Inizjamed (Malta) and Intermon Oxfam (Spain).

"By educating for a Global Citizenship, we want to encourage the respect and the valourisation of diveristy as a source of human enrichment", Dominik Kalweit, the Maltese national co-ordinator, said in his introductory address to the seminar.

The climate change theme will continue to be explored in the next scholastic year and activities will focus on the energy and transport crises. Interested schools from all sectors with students aged between six and 17 may register at www.conectandomundos.org.