Erasmus projects are real life opportunities for teenagers to learn more about different topics and to develop skills that are never tackled with in school. We realize that Erasmus projects offer a lot of benefits and we never want to stop being part of them. As a teacher, I understood my students’ need of knowing more and I tried to create contexts in which they can evolve in a safe manner. I started with eTwinning in Arts High School “Ionel Perlea”, Slobozia, Romania and after seven years, I opened the door to Erasmus.
Now, four years later into the program I know I have made the right choice and I am confident that more and more students in our school will have the chance of living this fulfilling experience.
The new project, Act for Environment, in partnership with 1 Epal Trikalon from Greece (coordinator), IES Hispanidad from Spain, Ekonomska i Turistika Skola Daruvar from Croatia and Agrupamento Escolas Anselmo de Andrade from Portugal, aims at making students more aware of the environmental problems. The first mobility took place in Trikala, Greece from 6-10 December 2021 and it focused on observing the environment in order to identify examples of good practice, on presenting ideas and activities which can be used as examples of good practice and on the way, people can use technology in order to make their valid contribution.
You know that project activities have been successful when you have the opportunity to discuss with the participants and have them share their thoughts on this new experience. They are the ones who determine the success of the projects and they are also the ones who can decide on what activities are beneficial and of interests for students in order to meet the project goals.
Delia: The fact that I had the opportunity to be a part of this mobility brought me the chance to improve my social skills and team abilities. The activities I took part in helped me see the educational system from another perspective and to be aware of the differences between people in other countries. I am grateful that I had such a unique experience with an amazing team.
Alicia: Since I entered this project, I knew it would be amazing and a new territory for me to explore and learn. This year I actually got to travel with my mobility and the activities we did at school and outdoors were a new experience to me. It gave me the opportunity to make new friends, see the world from other people’s perspective, I tested myself and I tested my limits and I learned that being part of a team is amazing. The project also tested our bond as a team and our trust in each other. We had to present all the eco-activities our team had worked on the previous year (which was online because of the pandemic), we had to take photos of everything related to recycling and we took part in international workshops in which we saw how technology can help with environmental issues. If I had to describe the experience and my mobility in a word, I would say it was magical.
Ana: I entered this project approaching it as a challenge. I knew I would have a lot to learn from it, but at the same time I would have fun. Erasmus experience was unforgettable, I learned to speak in front of people in English without emotions, I made friends from other countries with whom I shared impressions and ideas to make different projects. I visited magical places such as the Oracle of the Delphi or the Acropolis. In front of colleagues from other partner countries in the program, I presented a project related to the importance of recycling in everyone’s life, but together with them I took pictures of everything related to this subject in order to create collaborative materials for our eTwinning project. It was a memorable experience that will warm our souls when we remember it.
Anastasia: The Erasmus experience was something very special for me because I could relate more to the Greek lifestyle by observing the people and the places we went to. The school in Trikala showed us examples of how students can get involved in environmental issues by the use of technology, programing robots to do recycling tasks. I liked the fact that we worked in international teams to program robots to do tasks and we had a first insight of the entire process. The students made a little robot and programmed it to throw the paper, glass and the plastic in different compartments. We also observed the way the local community gets involved in environmental problems and how people also chose to take action. It was the best experience that I could ever ask for, with the best international teams!
We are looking forward to new learning adventures in Erasmus projects as we are sure that they make a difference in the lives of all participants. Being involved in Erasmus+ projects means being part of a journey at the end of which one is more self-confident and more self-aware, more motivated and more eager to be part of a team.