Proud to see a Scottish Parliament motion recognising Banff Academy & Aberdeenshire Council for winning the Delivering Excellence Award at the 2025 COSLA Awards for our Community Crafted PBL project. Huge thanks to Karen Adam MSP and to our pupils, staff, families & partners.

'Disinformation is not just a technological or political problem, it's also a human one. It spreads when we lose context and empathy. To fight it, we need to listen to young people, who know the digital world better than any generation.' Stewart Clelland, via The National archive.is/UNg8X

From Scotland to Sarajevo, the fight for truth connects classrooms, parliaments, and places scarred by conflict. My new article in the National tells how young people can lead the way against disinformation — turning education into action, and empathy into peace. www.thenational.scot/politics/256...

My latest Bella Caledonia piece examines Sarajevo’s ongoing negotiation with history — how language can both heal and divide, and how disinformation shapes what we remember. bellacaledonia.org.uk/2025/11/02/n...

Met Sid Khan last week — one of the Scottish activists from the Gaza Flotilla, recently detained after Israeli forces intercepted the aid mission. He spoke with courage and conviction about justice, humanity, and the cost of bearing witness.

Exciting news! Our team has been named a finalist in the 2025 COSLA Excellence Awards for our work in Project-Based Learning and Partnership. A huge thank you to the staff, students, and partners – proud to see this recognised nationally! www.cosla.gov.uk/news/2025/ce...

Over three years, across three jobs and two schools, and despite government funding being cut midway—I completed it.

@ruth-moss.bsky.social I wanted to reach out to ask if you ever do school visits or talks. I believe your insights could make a meaningful difference for our young people, and I would be very grateful if this might be something you would consider.

Very happy to share I’ve officially completed my Masters in Education! My thesis explored assessment in project-based learning through Derrida & poststructural pedagogy. A challenging but deeply rewarding journey—grateful for all the support, inspiration & conversations that shaped the work. 🗻🎉

I had the privilege of meeting the inspiring @robgmacfarlane.bsky.social and hearing him speak. It was a real joy to share some of the work we’ve been doing on our own Doric Lost Words project, exploring the links between disappearing language and the loss of biodiversity in Aberdeenshire.

Today is the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica. This song, Whaur Dae Ye Lie was written by Karine Polwart. Written for the women of Srebrenica, commemorating the atrocities and genocide that happened on 11th July 1995.

Had a wonderful morning in the childhood home of Lord Bryon, with Scotland’s Makar Dr Pàdraig MacAoidh and @drfairbairn.bsky.social, sharing our work on Doric and Sustainability. Language, land, and legacy—aye, they belong together. #Doric #Sustainability #ScotsLanguage @robgmacfarlane.bsky.social

Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine opens tomorrow 🧵 Explore the rich history of Palestinian dress and the ancient art of tatreez – a hand-embroidery tradition where every stitch tells a story. Find out more here: va.scot/4enu2sk

Proud moment! 🌟 Our young people were recognised by Aberdeen’s Lord Provost for their powerful writing on the Bosnian Genocide. Honouring memory, truth, and the courage to speak👏🕊️ #YouthVoices #Bosnia #Aberdeen

Finally, somewhere in Scotland, there’s institutional recognition of the dangers neoliberalism poses to education. About time we named it for what it is — and started imagining better. #Education #Scotland #Neoliberalism

🌿✨ Bursting with pride! Our PBL & Scots students in Banff are using Doric to reply to Gaza pupils’ stories of place, loss, cultural loss & resilience—linking lost words with biodiversity decline. Language shapes our bond with nature & connects us across cultures. @karenadamsnp.bsky.social

Proud to have Banff Academy involved @patrickharvie.bsky.social @beyondsrebrenica.bsky.social @edscotlfs.bsky.social @abshirecouncil.bsky.social @laurencefindlay.bsky.social

At the Scottish Parliament earlier this week for White Armband Day, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre — a solemn reminder of the consequences of hatred, silence, and inaction. Thank you so much for your support @karenadamsnp.bsky.social

Just a quick note to share that—as you know—we held our Banff to Bethlehem exhibition in Banff earlier this year. I’m delighted to let you know that the exhibition in Bethlehem has now taken place too! @jamesmcenaney.bsky.social @karenadamsnp.bsky.social

Should Scottish schools switch to project based learning? Here's what's been covered on day two of May's Education HQ... heraldscotland.com/news/2512825... (1/4) @jamesmcenaney.bsky.social

Are you looking for a new #teaching opportunity in a creative and dynamic environment. Come and join our progressive team at #BanffAcademy and be part of our #ProjectBasedLearning Faculty. Applications close on 14 May 2025 📍 youtu.be/nXgxfA-6Yb8 myjobscotland.gov.uk/councils/abe...

Opportunity to come and work in a progressive and groundbreaking faculty myjobscotland.gov.uk/councils/abe...

New for @heraldscotland.bsky.social From Banff to Bethlehem - how a school project connected Scottish students with peers in Palestine. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2511431...

Thrilled to see our work highlighted in the national press today. This recognition is a reflection of the incredible team effort behind the scenes. Thank you to everyone who has supported us on this journey — we’re just getting started! www.heraldscotland.com/news/2511431...

It was a privilege to meet with His Holiness the Dalai Lama today. I passed on the best wishes & prayers of his many friends in Scotland and presented him with a Scottish Parliament quaich, a motion of condolences for the recent passing of his brother & Nan Shepherd's The Living Mountain.

New paper out soon. What can we learn from indigenous people of the Alaskan Arctic? Empirical education research, narrative inquiry. Scots Language learning. Aberdeenshire.

The ceasefire ended on 18 March. With the sound of F-35s overhead, the pupils of Hussan Boys’ School took this photo to showcase their collaborative work with the pupils of Banff Academy. A powerful testament to creativity and connection in the face of adversity.

Excited and proud to have some of our Banff pupils’ artwork displayed on the Separation Wall in the West Bank, this week! This is part of a creative project I’m leading, linking our community with Bethlehem @humzayousaf.bsky.social @jamesmcenaney.bsky.social @karenadamsnp.bsky.social

Stunning and poignant writing and photography arriving from our partner school in Hussan, Bethlehem, for Repurpose the Past: Banff to Bethlehem. A powerful exchange of history, creativity, and connection across borders. #RepurposeThePast #BanffToBethlehem

Very pleased to see our work recognised by the Scottish Parliament today! Huge applause to all at Banff Academy for the inspiring Banff to Bethlehem project with S2 pupils and Taqi Spateen. @karenadamsnp.bsky.social @jamesmcenaney.bsky.social www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-...

Beautiful work emerging from our S2 Repurpose the Past: Banff to Bethlehem project—creativity, history, and storytelling coming to life! #Art #Education #RepurposeThePast

For those interested in my work on critical pedagogy, my article in the University of Aberdeen’s Education in the North may be of interest: “Critical Identity Pedagogy: Bridging the Dialectics of Social Justice and Inclusion.” www.abdn.ac.uk/education/re...

More than excited and honoured to see the Palestinian side of our ambitious S2 PBL Expedition ‘Banff to Bethlehem’ take shape! A journey of creativity, solidarity, and meaningful collaboration begins. #PBL #BanffToBethlehem #Palestine @jamesmcenaney.bsky.social @karenadamsnp.bsky.social

“Renewed measures creating conditions of life leading to the destruction of Gaza Palestinians as a group, in addition to blockade of food & all humanitarian aid. Will affect a desalination plant, hospitals & other life-sustaining infrastructures”. (Nicola Perugini) edition.cnn.com/2025/03/09/m...

Wrapped up the week with incredible feedback from our Palestinian partner! Inspiring discussions and creativity flowing—excited for what’s next! #Collaboration #Creativity #GlobalConnections

Our #RepurposeThePast: Banff to Bethlehem project explores sustainability, retro style, and the circular economy. Our display window looks fabulous, thanks to Elena in S2! 😉✨ Every item is available at the MacDuff Red Cross shop—shop sustainably and support a great cause! 🛍️

In our #RepurposeThePast: Banff to Bethlehem S2 #PBL project, we’re uniting art, history, and sustainability to inspire change by transforming waste into beauty, reviving forgotten stories, and connecting communities worldwide.

New journal 'Leadership, Scholarship and Praxis in Education' is now available open access journals.gla.ac.uk/LSPE Congratulations to #CenTCS Fellow @alisonmitchelluofg.bsky.social for leading this fantastic partnership endeavour.

End of an amazing week of PBL! We wrapped up feedback with our Palestinian partner Taqi, met the Chair of Philosophy at Aberdeen Uni, and spoke with professional storyteller David Heathfield about including stories from children in Gaza in our project.

Another wonderful day of our partner, Palestinian street artist Taqi Spateen, giving one-to-one feedback to our S2 PBL classes direct from Bethlehem. Completely inspiring, overwhelmingly enriching! #ArtEducation #GlobalConnections #TaqiSpateen @karenadamsnp.bsky.social @jamesmcenaney.bsky.social

The creativity from S2 in our Repurpose the Past: Banff to Bethlehem project has been incredible. Their cut-up haikus weave history, memory, and imagination into something truly unique. #StudentVoice #PBL #CreativeWriting

I’ve loved reading the cut-up haikus S2 have created as part of their ‘Repurpose the Past: Banff to Bethlehem’ project—beautiful fragments of history reimagined through poetry and creativity. #PBL #CreativeLearning #Haiku

Proud to be making this happen! I am partnering with Taqi Spateen, a talented Palestinian street artist, for our S2 PBL project on art & sustainability. In collaboration with the Bethlehem Cultural Festival, we’re creating an exhibition spanning Banff to Bethlehem!

S1 PBL got hands-on with owl pellet dissection today as part of our ‘Survive or Thrive’ project—equal parts excitement and disgust! Fascinating to see what these nocturnal hunters have been dining on. #STEM #HandsOnLearning @BxaLearning

Great to have Logan from Retro Carmelite join us for a Q&A on sustainable and vintage fashion! Insightful discussion on style, sustainability, and the value of reimagining the past.

Excited to launch our project on sustainability, materials & relationships! After facing a week’s school plastic waste, we heard from artist Taqi Spateen in the West Bank. Now co-curating an exhibition with a Palestinian school in Banff & Bethlehem!