K220 Erasmus Project: The New Values of Democracy in today's Europe's

The second day of the final mobility in Spain of the K220 project “The New Values of Democracy in Today’s Europe” was marked by the red weather alert for heavy rain issued in the province of Valencia. We had to improvise an alternative plan. The teachers visited the school—which was closed—and observed the excellent facilities of IES Eduardo Primo Marqués. They enjoyed seeing the radio studio, the black theater classroom, the entrepreneurship rooms, and the technology workshops. For lunch, they tasted a traditional regional dish: arroz al horno (baked rice). The students were divided into groups. A large group went to Xàtiva, the capital of the La Costera region. The ancient Roman Saetabis and Muslim Madina Šāṭiba hold an exemplary history of defending the roots of their people. The students visited the castle, a double fortress on a hill overlooking the Sierra Vernissa. A smaller group went to Carlet to visit the parish church. The parish priest explained the history of the Church o...

The first day of the final mobility in Spain for the K220 project “New Values of Democracy in Today's Europe” was a washout (literally, "passed by water"). The plans for the staggered reception of the delegations from Portugal, Romania, Poland, Croatia, and Greece throughout Sunday were disrupted by the red alert decreed in the Valencia region due to a cold drop (a weather phenomenon known as a gota fría), like the Scottish musical group from the 90s. As a preventive measure, the regional government suspended educational activities in the districts where heavy rainfall was predicted for Monday. The memory of the mud and the damage from the floods exactly 11 months ago led to such a radical decision. Nevertheless, the Erasmus spirit that permeates all the participants in this project meant that an outstanding challenge like this was overcome by the hard work of the Erasmus team and the management team of the Eduardo Primo Marqués Institute.  The spirit of Erasmus "tha...

Last day of the Polish mobility of the Erasmus+ K220 Project "The New Values of Democracy in Today’s Europe", held at Zespół Szkół Centrum Kształcenia Rolniczego in Bogdańczowice.  The day began with a debate between Member of the European Parliament Andrej Buta and Senator Beniamin Godyla. Pawel Brusito, a professor at the University of Economics in Wrocław, moderated the discussion. Both guests praised the meeting of the six partner countries working on the new democratic values across such diverse European regions as Poland, Romania, Greece, Croatia, Spain, and Portugal.  Later, one student from each country took part in another debate to present how multiculturalism is present in their schools, cities, and communities. The viewpoints of our students are always deeply enriching. Their thoughtful and insightful contributions reflected their strong capacity for critical thinking. The third activity of the day was a group reflection on environmental impact and global warming,...

Thursday's journey took the students participating in the Erasmus+ project to the beautiful city of Wrocław, located in the southwest of Poland, in the region of Lower Silesia. After a bus ride from Kluczbork, we arrived at one of the country's most important and vibrant university cities. Our first stop was at the University of Wrocław, where we participated in a special educational activity using the Living a Book methodology. The session was led by Professor Katarzyna Liszka, who holds degrees in Cultural Studies, Philosophy, and Jewish Language and Culture Studies from the University of Wrocław. This innovative approach allowed us to “live” the books that reflected the deep emotions, concerns, and dreams of those who shared the book titles and stories. Afterward, we were lucky to visit several historic buildings of the university, including the Aula Leopoldina, an awe-inspiring Baroque jewel that left us speechless. Its frescoes, sculptures, and rich decorative details tran...

The day began with a visit to the Town Hall of Kluczbork. In the beautiful council chamber of this southern Polish town, the main local authorities welcomed the participants of our Erasmus project. Jarosław Kielar and Mirosław Birecki conveyed their passion for good governance in the town and its surrounding region, particularly in the management and defense of the vital primary sector: agriculture. They also highlighted the importance of beekeeping and honey, a true badge of the city. Our students asked insightful questions about what motivated them to manage the local res publica and inquired about the impact of migration in the region—relevant and thought-provoking issues. After lunch, we delved into the different deities of Slavic mythology. A representative from each country explained the traits and behaviors of a mythological creature from their nation. To deepen our understanding of Slavic myths, the Polish students performed a theatrical play showing their myths’ influence on ...

The bus parking at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Complex is filled with groups from all over the world—visitors from Asia, North and South America, and, also, Europe. Because every civilized person —and even those in denial who still need to be civilized— should visit at least once in their lives to remember the deportation and murder of over a million Jews in the largest Nazi concentration camp of World War II. The site in the Polish city of Oświęcim is not a typical museum. It is a memorial, a stark reminder of the horrors that human beings are capable of. This was not a spontaneous act of cruelty. It was a calculated, meticulously planned effort to exterminate and erase from the face of the Earth Jews from Hungary, Poland, Romania, Italy, and beyond. On Tuesday, April 8 (International Romani Day), the group of students and teachers visited the largest concentration and extermination camp of Nazi Germany, where 21,000 Roma (Gypsies) were murdered.  It’s estimated that the SS an...