SCHOOLKIDS from the five 2012 London Olympics host’ boroughs have been 'Welcoming the World'. They’ve been out taking snaps of the places they know to send to schoolchildren around the globe. More than 450 youngsters aged eight to 15 took part in the Welcoming the World education programme exploring the cultural landscapes where they live

By Laura Aylett

SCHOOLKIDS from the five 2012 London Olympics 'host' boroughs have been Welcoming the World.

They've been out taking snaps of the places they know to send to schoolchildren around the globe.

More than 450 youngsters aged eight to 15 took part in the Welcoming the World education programme exploring the cultural landscapes where they live.

It included photographic, film and music projects with the pupils working with professionals, including photo-journalist Gideon Mendel, film director Pratibha Parmar and West End music director Mike Dixon.

The youngsters unveiled their work in London on July 4 after a morning of group activities which included working with Mike Dixon to learn a celebration song written for the event which they performed at the end.

Another task was creating postcards to send to youngsters in Azerbaijan, India, Brazil, Zambia and one of the world's newest and smallest nations, Palau in the Pacific.

They came from 19 schools in the London boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Newham, Waltham Forest and Greenwich who went out to 'document' their part of London to show to the rest of the world.

East London schools which took part in 'Welcoming the World' were:

Tower Hamlets: Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate, Shadwell, Ben Jonson Primary, Stepney, Columbia Primary, Bethnal Green.

Hackney: Skinners' Company's and Millfields Primary, both Upper Clapton, Rushmore Primary, Lower Clapton, Kingsmead Primary, Homerton, Berger Primary, Hackney Wick.

Newham: Plashet Secondary, East Ham, Colegrave Primary, Stratford, Eleanor Smith Secondary, Canning Town, Lathom Primary School, Upton Park.

Waltham Forest: George Mitchell Community, Leyton, Willowfield Secondary, Walthamstow, Rushcroft Sports, Chingford.

Greenwich schools the other side of the Thames taking part were: James Wolfe Primary, Windrush Primary, Plumstead Manor and St Ursula's Convent.