FAQ

Questions, answered.

Earthrise:Live is a global event - so these answers are built around your country's school system, calendar, languages, laws and culture, not any one nation's.

The basics

What is Earthrise:Live?: Earthrise:Live is a safe, teacher-led moment of connection and togetherness. Classes in different countries say hello, share stories, ask questions and see each other as children first - a short, friendly exchange over a video call, or a shared set of messages and pictures where a live call isn’t practical. It all happens on one headline day: Thursday 19 November 2026, chosen so classrooms in every country can take part together despite different school weeks, rest days and time zones.
Is it free?: Yes. Registering and taking part is completely free for every school, everywhere.
Which schools can take part?: Any school, in any country - state or government, private or independent, international, faith, and special schools are all welcome. Earthrise:Live is built around the realities of different national school systems, not one country’s. You tell us how your school works and we fit around it.
What age are the children?: Most classes are primary / elementary age (roughly 7-11), but we welcome a wider range. When you register you choose your class’s age band, and we match classes with a similar age so the exchange feels natural - whatever the school year or grade is called where you are.
Can more than one class at our school take part?: Yes - register each class separately. The first teacher to register becomes the school admin and can see every class at the school from their dashboard.

Matching and timing

How are classes matched, and when?: After you register, we pair classes by age, a shared or working language, availability, time-zone overlap, and your preferences. We don’t match one class at a time as people sign up - we wait until classes around the world have registered and then match together. We anticipate matching at the end of October 2026.You’ll get an Earthrise:Live Match Pack by email as soon as you’re matched.
What if we can't make 19 November?: That’s fine. You can offer an alternative day in the surrounding window, a catch-up afterwards, or simply mark yourself flexible. National and regional holidays, exam periods and term dates all differ around the world - we will never match you to a day you’ve told us you can’t do.
Our school calendar is very different - does that matter?: Not at all. School years vary worldwide - southern-hemisphere calendars, different term structures, and local or religious observances. You tell us whether you’re in session that week and which dates and times work for you, and we plan around your calendar.

Time zones

We're in very different time zones - how can a live call work?: We use each school’s local school-day hours and time zone to find a window that falls within both schools’ days. Where there’s little or no overlap, we support an asynchronous exchange instead - video postcards, a class letter, or a shared slideshow - so distance is never a barrier. See understanding time zones.
How long is the connection?: Short and manageable - typically 15 to 30 minutes. You set a minimum and maximum length that suits your class and timetable.

How is child safety handled?: Safeguarding comes first. The exchange is always supervised by a teacher, and children never share personal contact details. Every school follows its own country’s child-protection laws and its own school policies - you remain responsible for those, and we’re built to support them. See our safeguarding page.
Do we need parental or guardian consent?: Follow your own school’s and country’s consent process - requirements differ by jurisdiction (for example GDPR in Europe, COPPA in the United States, and many other national data-protection and image-consent rules). Earthrise:Live never collects pupil names or contact details, so consent stays a matter for you and your families under your local rules.
What data do you collect?: Only what’s needed to make a safe match: the teacher’s contact details and the class details you provide. We don’t collect pupil personal data. We’re mindful that data laws differ between countries, so we keep what we hold to a minimum and you control what is shared. See our privacy notice.

Language and culture

What language will the classes speak?: You tell us your main classroom language and any others your class can meet in, including sign languages. We try to match on a shared language. Where there isn’t one, simple greetings, pictures, gestures and translation tools make a warm exchange possible - learning a few words of each other’s language is part of the joy.
How do you handle different cultures, beliefs and sensitivities?: This is a global event, and every classroom is of equal value - a class in Riyadh, Lagos, São Paulo or Manchester matters exactly the same. We use neutral, inclusive content, and we never match on personal or protected characteristics. Activities are flexible: if a topic isn’t right for your community, you can steer the conversation to what suits your class.
Can we choose - or avoid - particular countries or regions?: Yes. You can tell us preferred countries, regions or languages, or simply choose “any available” for the easiest match. If there’s anywhere you’d prefer not to be matched with, you can note that too.

Technology

What technology do we need?: A device with an internet connection, a webcam, and a screen or projector for the class to gather around. You choose the video platforms your school is allowed to use (such as Microsoft Teams, Google Meet or Zoom), and teachers share the meeting link with each other through approved school channels.
What if our connection isn't reliable enough for live video?: No problem - tell us during registration and we’ll plan an asynchronous exchange, so a slower connection is never a barrier to taking part.

Getting ready

What support do we get to prepare?: Free, classroom-ready teacher resources (lesson plans, assembly ideas and a safeguarding-first guide), and country pages with greetings, facts, food, music, festivals and activities for the classes you might meet. Once matched, your Match Pack includes local times for both classrooms, a suggested agenda and country facts.
What is a “Teacher Hello”?: A short, friendly teacher-to-teacher video call before the connection day. You meet your partner teacher, agree a simple plan, and feel reassured - it’s a lovely, sensible safeguarding step, and we recommend it for every match.

About

Is Earthrise:Live affiliated with the United Nations or UNICEF?: No. Earthrise:Live is an independent global day of connection for children. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the United Nations or UNICEF.
How do we get help or raise a concern?: Email us at hello@earthriselive.org, or use the report a concern page at any time.

Still have a question?

We’re happy to help - wherever in the world you are.