British actor Idris Elba is hoping to build an eco-friendly “smart city” on an island in Sierra Leone. The Wire, Luther and Mandela star’s father was from the West African country and Elba is working with locals to transform Sherbro Island, creating income through sustainable tourism and bringing wind and solar farms to a region … Continue reading “Creating a Sustainable Smart City in Sierra Leone”
The Kenyan government wants its people to plant 100 million trees to regreen the country. They even have a new tree-planting holiday. And the ultimate goal is much bigger: to plant 15 billion trees in 10 years. The JazaMiti initiative, which means “fill with trees” in Swahili, aims to help tackle climate change. As in … Continue reading “100 Million Trees”
Since Black Panther premiered in February 2018, fans have been clamouring for a sequel. They’ll finally get their wish on 9 November 2022. But with the death of Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is going to be very different to the first film. Black Panther was hailed as a massive leap forward for the … Continue reading “Back in Black Panther!”
7 July will be the first edition of World Kiswahili Language Day. The United Nations designated the official day in recognition of a language that is spoken by 200 million people across Africa. It is gaining in popularity and could one day replace English and French as a lingua franca native to the continent. In … Continue reading “Spreading Swahili”
In a short and moving speech to the COP26 conference in Glasgow, Elizabeth Wathuti highlighted the plight of of populations in sub-Saharan Africa who are suffering the worst effects of climate change, which is threatening their livelihoods and even their lives. As a teenager in 2016, Wathuti founded the Green Generation Intiative in Kenya, which … Continue reading “Young Kenyan Activist Asks World Leaders to Open their Hearts to Climate Victims”
As well the 28 Files, the Shine Bright AMC contains 34 pages of Landmarks: timelines and key information about the history and culture of English-speaking countries with an AMC angle. They were written by Juliette Hanrot, who teaches history and geography in DNL. These reference pages can be used to give pupils essential background when … Continue reading “Shine Bright AMC Landmarks”
It’s la semaine des langues vivantes from 17 to 21 May. Whether you’re in or out of school at that point, there are lots of ideas to mix and match languages and take them out of the classroom. Last year’s preparations took place during lockdown, and teachers had lots of creative ideas to celebrate. Check … Continue reading “La semaine des langues vivantes”
Red Nose Day (19 March in 2021) encourages people to raise money for projects in the UK and the developing world by “doing something funny for money.” But it also aims to raise awareness of poverty, particularly among schoolchildren, who are massive supporters, along with school staff, of Red Nose Day. Here are a selection … Continue reading “Red Nose Day Webpicks”
Brits are gearing up to raise money for charity with Sport Relief on 13 March. The high-energy version of Comic Relief is asking people to lace up their running shoes, put on their swimsuits or get on their bikes to tackle issues such as mental health stigma, domestic abuse, homelessness and poverty, both in the … Continue reading “Be a Sport!”
Sport Relief is from 9 to 13 March in the UK. Like its twin, Red Nose Day, it has always had a big educational element. Schools participate massively in fundraising, but the charity also provides lots of teaching materials so classes can learn about the problems Sport Relief funds are helping to tackle. The schools’ … Continue reading “Sport Relief Teaching Materials”
