Pupils from Corfu 1st Junior High School visit Croatia with the Erasmus+ Programme
CORFU. Bol School hosted groups of teachers and pupils from their partner schools in the Erasmus+ programme.
Five pupils from Corfu 1st Junior High School, accompanied by four teachers, were hosted by the Croatian partner Bol Primary School in Split, Croatia, as part of the European Erasmus+ programme ‘Open your mind, change your life’ from 18 to 24 March 2018.
Bol school hosted groups from their partner schools in the Erasmus+ programme (Poland, Germany, Portugal, Greece) and they all worked together on the topic ‘Open your mind, change your life’ and more specifically, ‘Scientists and inventors – what do we owe them?’
The study of inventors from each country and their contribution to the evolution of civilization was the main focus of this project as well as the use of new technologies to learn more about them and promote them. Through a multi-faceted experience like this students’ horizons are broadened and they understand the scientists’ contribution to the development of worldwide thought and become aware of different concepts and perspectives as well as learning to respect diversity and cultivate the concept of a multicultural and tolerant European community.
The Corfu students also had the opportunity to work in groups alongside their peers in various workshops. They learned about important personalities from the participating partner countries who had gained distinction in fields such as technology, physics, mathematics, medicine, philosophy, astrophysics and the arts, several of whom have left their mark on global civilization. Each team produced posters with pictures and quotes from these inventors and students took part in a knowledge game and sports competitions. Through all of these activities, they learned about everyday life in a Croatian school, exchanged ideas and concerns about educational methods but, primarily, they spoke English in a real situation that demanded linguistic and communication skills.
They also had the opportunity to visit important historical monuments, such as the Diocletian Palace (UNESCO cultural heritage site) where there was a guided tour in English, to take part in a treasure hunt and to visit Klis Castle, where students had the chance to participate in archery and fencing activities.
They also visited another historically interesting town – Zadar - with its medieval buildings, a Roman market and Romanesque temples. Here students saw and heard a unique musical instrument which created sounds through the movement of waves in the harbour whilst they enjoyed the sunset.
In a visit to the Tesla Museum students learned a lot about the life and work of this great Croatian inventor and witnessed a unique wireless energy transfer experiment. They also had the chance to attend a geology class given by Ms Masa Suric from the University of Zadar on the subject of locating the epicentre of an earthquake and a lecture at FESB University given by the astrophysicist and CERN member, Ivica Puljak, on the creation of the universe.
This trip, like all trips aimed at the exchange of experience, provided students and teachers with unique experiences not only on an educational level, but also in regard to their general intellectual and cultural development. All these experiences broaden their minds and provide them with valuable assets to develop their Greek and European cultural identity.
