We are in the second decade of the 21st century and in a time of great change, both in terms of how we learn and how we work. New and powerful technologies are changing the ways we learn and interact and engage with each other. These technologies, along with the increasing mobility of workers and industries, are also impacting on work practices and patterns. We have to provide an education that is relevant not just in static and local contexts – but in 21st century and international contexts. We are engaging in this Strategic Partnership to ensure that our schools are adapting to these great changes in our societies. Our school communities are comprised of pupils from many different cultures and ethnic groupings, with many different needs. Raising the self-esteem of these pupils is particularly important. Factors that raise this self-esteem are success and achievement. We believe that a European project featuring global citizenship will utilise these strengths to develop ideals of citizenship within our school communities, and to give a voice to those who are seldom heard. Pupils will learn about climate change, social justice, sustainable development, diversity, migration and globalisation. They will express their opinions more confidently, think more critically, and learn to respect others and to resolve conflict. They will reinforce their sense of identity, enhance their self-esteem, engage and participate in society, and learn that they too can make a difference. We need to constantly develop the professional skills of our teachers. The possibility of engaging and networking with other teachers at an international level has the potential to be a life-changing experience, creating new dimensions and perspectives that will impact on teaching practices. We want teachers to utilise technologies that will benefit the pupils in our classrooms, to adopt best practices, to use creative and innovative methodologies to teach, and to constantly reflect on and evaluate their work. We need to improve the ICT and digital competences of pupils. We live in a technological world and pupils are very familiar with many technologies. We will be taking more advantage of these existing skills and creating opportunities for pupils to communicate and collaborate, to use technology to improve their learning outcomes, to enhance the presentation of their work, and to be creative and expressive. We need to further engage the parents and the local community with our school. We can avail of the expertise of parents and their support will also act as a motivating factor for pupils. Through engaging and participating with the wider community we develop the citizenship skills of the pupils and enhance their sense of self-esteem. We believe that participation in this Strategic Partnership will be a critical catalyst in moving our schools forward and in addressing these needs.