At least 10 Global Leadership Academy learners recently returned from a transformative journey to Germany as part of a student exchange programme.
From March 26 to April 11, learners collaborated with their German counterparts on global citizenship initiatives, focusing on United Nations Sustainability Development Goals, while experiencing German culture firsthand.
School teacher and programme coordinator, Thomas Schulz, said that GLA was introduced to the Entwicklungspolitisches Schulaustauschprogramm (ENSA) exchange programme through Anna Hörlein, who worked in Jeffreys Bay as part of the Kouga Municipality’s partnership between Ilsfeld and Kouga.
He said that she connected GLA with the German school, Ilsfeld Gemeinschaftsschule (GMS), and after agreeing to establish a partnership, GMS then applied with ENSA which supports school partnerships that promote global learning.
Schulz said that ENSA covers 75% of the cost of the programme while the additional costs are covered by the German municipality.
He said that the partnership was officially established in 2022 between the two schools.
“What makes ENSA amazing, retrospectively speaking, is their strong focus on global citizenship, youth empowerment, and sustainability. ENSA encourages both sides to engage in meaningful community projects, creating a lasting impact beyond the exchange visit itself,” said Schulz.
Since the minimum age to participate in the exchange programme is 14, he said that 10 GLA learners from Grades 9 to 11 were chosen and were selected based on a combination of their leadership potential, cultural and gender diversity, ability to represent the school well, and their willingness to engage in long-term partnership work.
“During our stay, we took part in cultural exchanges, school immersion experiences, workshops and discussions on two of the 17 Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN, namely Quality Education and decreased inequalities, as well as excursions that explored German heritage and innovation,” said Schulz.
He said that the overall theme for their partnership project was global citizenship, with quality education and decreased inequalities as the foundation.
Schulz said that a lot of effort was put into bridging and celebrating differences which was mostly done via storytelling.
The additional project, which is still in progress, is the publishing of a children’s book on the topic of decreased inequalities.
He said that the goal is to publish children’s books on each of the 17 SDGs in the years to come.
As the book project remains unfinished, Schulz explained that the learners have committed to regular meetings to complete the publication.
He said that they will also continue to collaborate with the Germans online.
“I believe the vast experiences during this time will not only shape the individual participant, but also flow into class discussions, even if it is not done formally,” said Schulz.
He said that two teachers from GLA accompanied the learners, supporting them throughout the exchange and ensuring both their well-being and their active participation in the programme.
“We hope our learners will grow in intercultural competence, empathy, collaboration, and critical thinking. Engaging with peers from different backgrounds broadens their worldview and deepens their understanding of what it means to be a global citizen,” said Schulz.
Since the programme serves as a long-term partnership that will deepen with each three-year cycle, he said that they plan to continue the exchange programme with Germans visiting at a later stage.
“This exchange has been transformative for our school community. It’s more than just travel; it’s about building friendships, gaining perspective, and developing the kind of leadership that our world needs. We are incredibly grateful to ENSA, our partners in Germany, and our local community for making this possible. To God be all the glory. We are looking forward to many more experiences, as we continue to shape leaders and make disciples,” said Schulz.
