I first heard about Shared Histories when I was selected to go on the ilep "Stage de Noumea"  in April, 2016.

My host family was Famille Camus, and Agnes Camus, of College de Normandie, was already involved in the "Shared Histories Project".

I watched and learnt of the work that she and her students were doing, found out about Shared Histories, and then after talking with Glenda Palmer, then ilep Language Advisor, I also found out about the 'Shared Histories’ Young Ambasadors Project in which I was successful getting my student, Katya Collins on this programme.

This was a life changing event for this young lady from the Eastern Bay of Plenty, where she was studying Level 3 French through the Virtual Learning Network. She is now at Victoria University, studying International Relations and French.

I watched Katya's journey and on her return, she presented to my students on Armistice Day, telling us about her experiences and about Shared Histories. We also watched some moving real life footage of the end of the war.

So with all of this as impetus, and our New Caledonia Exchange, as set up after the ilep "stage’, I have chosen to follow up with my Year 10 students on a Shared Histories project. Our focus, ahead of the visit from our partners later this year, is to compare the Kanak and Maori experience of World War One.