Quick Guide to Partner-Finding

Before you start.

  1. Be clear why you want to link with a partner school; think about why another school might want to link with yours; be prepared to discuss this in detail with potential partners.
  2. Prepare a short, clear and accurate description of your school and your reasons for wanting to link with a partner school. This description may be used to help you find an appropriate partner, so be as honest as possible.

Where to look.

Personal connections

  • Do you have a colleague/friend/relative who has lived and worked overseas? Do they have connections that could help to find a partner school?
  • Staff and students in your own school may also have personal contacts with a suitable partner school.

Local/Community connections

  • Some towns/regions have established links or are twinned with a particular town/region in Africa, Asia or Latin America. Find out what community links already exist, and if this may help you in finding a partner school.
  • What about local Diaspora groups in your area? There is a wealth of expertise and knowledge in Ireland's new communities. Perhaps you will find that you will forge valuable links closer to home, before you start looking for an overseas partner.
  • Does your parish or local faith group have connections with communities overseas?
  • Is your school part of a religious network that has pre-existing sister/brother schools overseas?
  • Do other schools in your area have a partner school? If so, their partner schools may know of a potential school for you to link with.

Internet

  • On the Global Gateway (www.globalgateway.org) you can register your school's profile and browse other schools to find a partner that you think might be suitable.

Non-Governmental Organisations

  • Are there any NGOs working in your area that may also work with schools overseas? If you find a partner school through such an NGO, will it be an independent partnership or will it form part of that organisation's work?
  • There are several twinning organisations operating in Ireland that link schools as well as broader communities with partners overseas. Have a look at the Linking and Immersion Resources page for some initial ideas about such organisations.

Download a PDF of our short Guide to Partner Finding. (PDF¦242kb)

 

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