How do initiation visits work?

It is important for us that the partner schools visit each other. Therefore initiation visits consist of two visits: The partner school from abroad visits Germany (incoming) and a German school visits its partner school abroad (outgoing).

ENSA promotes visits of a maximum of 7 programme days plus arrival and departure. The school can of course decide to extend the stay if it bears the additional costs. Both visits should be made within one calendar year. The travel period is from March to October.

ENSA promotes up to six participants per school, including at least two students and one teacher.

Minimum participation age is 14 years. It is possible to increase the number of participants if the school bears the additional costs.

• State-run or private schools from Germany
• Charitable non-governmental organisations from Germany
• School supporters’ associations from Germany

Initiation visits are an opportunity for first contact. Participants of both partner schools can slowly get to know each other and discuss their ideas of the partnership, their expectations or fears and what they want to contribute.

If it is clear that a partnership will develop, participants can discuss what topics they want to work with during the partnership or what activities and projects they can carry out together.

Participants will document all objectives and topics of the partnership in a joint agreement.

Each school partnership will have two ENSA teachers at its disposal. They will advise and supervise the participants throughout the entire funding cycle.

Each project group will attend three conferences in its region lasting several days between January and November. The conferences prepare participants for their project and serve to assess the project after the exchange visits.

Experienced ENSA staff and seminar teachers offer seminars at the conferences providing support in the following areas:

• Preparation and follow-up activities for visits and school exchange projects
• Introduction to topics related to Global Learning and education for sustainable development
• Teaching skills such as teamwork and conflict resolution
• Teaching methods for anti-discriminatory and inclusive school exchanges