Second Erasmus+ meeting in Siegburg, Germany

 

From the 26th of March to the 2nd of April, we did the second exchange of our ecological project Schools for future – be part in creating and eco-friendly world in Siegburg, Germany. After having a wonderful time in Croatia, everybody was looking forward to the exchange in Germany. The weather was despite of the location in Germany good and everything planned in detail.

After more than one year of planning and waiting for their exchange students, the German participants finally could welcome their partners from Croatia, Latvia and Spain and show them the German hospitality and way of life. They were looking forward to work together on the project and to learn, what the other schools did to make their schools more eco-friendly.

 

The exchange students arrived on Saturday and Sunday and used the weekend to get to know their host families and enjoy the time with them. On Monday the project in Siegburg started.

The first day at school we had an extended breakfast together and did a small welcoming event where the principal and mayor came to express their appreciation for the project and the guests. Afterwards the German students did a tour around the school for their exchange partners and explained the structure of German schools in general. Since only twelve of the forty participants knew each other from the time in Croatia, we used the first day to do some get to know each other games and to break the ice. The students had lots of fun and they learned the names of the other students very quickly.

After having traditional lunch in the city center, the exchange student did a Rallye around Siegburg which was planned by the German students. The Rallye included the most important sights in Siegburg, learning important German words and use them with strangers, try traditional snacks from the bakery and orientate themselves in the small town.

On the second day we started with lots of energy and motivation into the project. The students had a two-day workshop with two people who invest lots of time in the saving of the environment. They do their workshops all over Germany and are skilled in the work with students. Since the workshop was very long, they worked on different topics. First of all, they talked about climate change and problems that speed up this negative development. Afterwards the students had to draw their ‘dream school’ and think about the protection of the environment. They could create whatever they want, even if at this point it would not be able to realize it. The main part was to learn, how a good ecological project can be planned and realized. First, they talked about it in a general way and then they started planning their own project. The students really enjoyed this activity, because they learned a lot about the topic and about things, they could do in the future to protect the environment and fight for their future.

At the end of the workshop, they talked about the ideas and activities the students did at their different schools. They evaluated all of their ideas and gave advice of what has been good and what has been difficult. The discussions were long and interesting and every participant got more ideas, which they could bring home to their own schools.

 

After the hard work on the project, the students went to an adrenalin park, where they climbed trees and had to overcome obstacles five meter above the ground. They also did teambuilding activities, in which they had to communicate to solve the riddle, because only if all of them worked together they could succeed.

On the fourth day the group went to Cologne and had a tour through the city center. They learned a lot about the history, visited Roman ruins, got to know the most important sights and traditions and could even feel a bit of the famous carnival, when they tried some costumes on. Of course, they also entered the Cathedral of Cologne and climbed all of the 533 steps to the top. The view is amazing!

The last day was all about the German culture. The German participants prepared four different workshops regarding history, geography, culture and legends. The exchange students learned a lot and proved their new knowledge with some quizzes about Germany afterwards. They also got to know the legend of the ‘Nibelungensage’ and his hero Siegfried – the slayer of the dragon. This was important because after having lunch in Bonn, the group climbed the ‘Drachenfels’ – the mountain of the legend. On top of the mountain, they saw the old tower and could see the dragon which was killed by Siegfried.

The week in Germany was a mixture of work on the project and social activities. The students got along very well and became close friends. They also got lots of new ideas how to make their school more eco-friendly and what they can do to slow down the climate change. They are willing to fight for a green future and to plan project regarding this goal.