Elgin Academy partners with a Ukrainian school to share the joy of reading
Elgin Academy has partnered with Hadiach Lyceum №1, named after Olena Pchilka in the Poltava region of Ukraine, to share the joy of reading and build friendships between young people in the UK and Ukraine.
The schools have been paired through the British Council’s UK-Ukraine Schools Partnership Programme, funded by the UK Government. This exciting initiative supports schools to form lasting international links and shows how reading can open up new ideas, grow confidence and support wellbeing.
The programme will connect 100 schools in total, 50 in the UK and 50 in Ukraine. Pupils will join in activities that encourage reading for fun, while also learning about each other’s cultures through a shared love of books.
At Elgin Academy, the S2 English class, with their teacher Miss MacDonald and school librarian Mrs Toonen, have already done a huge amount of work to get the programme off to a strong start. They have written letters, created sunflower messages and made a short film about life at their school. The class has also chosen a novel to share with their new Ukrainian friends.
Recently, Mrs Toonen travelled to Poland to meet teachers from Hadiach Lyceum №1. She proudly shared the pupils’ work and delivered gifts from Elgin Academy to their Ukrainian partners.
Elgin Academy’s Head Teacher, Neil Johnson, said: “We’re delighted to be part of the UK-Ukraine Schools Partnership Programme. This project inspires young people to read for pleasure, while helping them build confidence and connect with others from different cultures. The support for the programme, including workshops and resources, will give us a strong start to this partnership. It also supports our efforts to keep our Gold Reading School status, which celebrates our commitment to promoting reading.”
Claire de Braekeleer, Director, British Council Scotland, said: "At a time when global connections can feel fragile, programmes like this one are vital to help build cultural understanding. Reading has a wonderful power to help us see the world through someone else's eyes, and that's exactly what's happening between pupils in Elgin and Poltava.
"We're delighted to see so many Scottish schools taking part in this programme. This is part of the UK/Ukraine 100 Year partnership and a strong sign of solidarity between our two countries for generations to come."
Moray Council Leader and Chair of the Education, Children’s and Leisure Services committee, Cllr Kathleen Robertson, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for Elgin Academy pupils to be involved in. Not only are they sharing a love of reading, but they are also helping to build lasting friendships with young people in Ukraine. It’s inspiring to see our schools taking part in such positive international work and we’re very proud of what the pupils and staff have achieved so far.”
The UK-Ukraine Schools Partnership Programme is funded by the UK Government as part of the 100-year Partnership between the UK and Ukraine. This long-term commitment aims to deepen links in areas such as defence, trade and education, while also bringing communities together. The programme is delivered by the British Council in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust.
For more information about the UK-Ukraine School Partnerships programme, please contact the British Council team at Schools@britishcouncil.org