Mobility to Manavpinari Primary School in TÜRKİYE

 On May 26-31, 2024, students and teachers took part in the third mobility carried out as part of the "Unity in Diversity" project co-financed by the European Union. The main topic of the visit this time was climate change, which has already become a fact and its consequences are visible all over the world. Therefore, it is a topic that knows no boundaries and should be discussed with young people and made aware of how humans impact the environment. 

The host of the meeting was Manavpinari Primary School - picturesquely situated by the Black Sea, about 150 km from the cultural capital of Turkey - Istanbul.

 In addition to the Polish delegation, students and teachers from Romania and Greece also participated in the meeting. On the first day of our visit, a grand opening ceremony took place. We were welcomed according to local tradition - with sweets and cologne to wash our hands with. Then we watched students' dance performances taking place in the school yard, which overlooked the mosque on the opposite side of the street. We also visited the facility, which, although not large, delighted with its warm atmosphere. We were also officially welcomed by the school principal and a representative of the local authorities. After the ceremonial inauguration, it was time for upcycling workshops, during which students in international teams tried to give a second life to no longer needed items, such as bottles. They created, among others: bird feeders and birdbaths that were hung in the school garden.

After lunch prepared by the parents, it was time for another workshop. This time we created an online dictionary with words related to nature, but in the native languages ​​of the partner countries, using artificial intelligence resources. Then it was time for board games, which helped the children integrate with their peers from other partner countries.

The culmination of the day was a visit to the center of Karasu and a walk along the sea line, which was located near our hotel.

The next day we went to the "Ormanya" Nature Park, where our main task was to play bingo, created, of course, by students. Participants had to come up with climate-related words in English and then put them into the game. As they walked, teams crossed out words that they could see come to fruition in the environments around them. The winner was the person who was the first to find all the items from his game. It was a wonderful time spent with an international group in the bosom of nature.

On Wednesday we went to school again. This time we took part in a Turkish lesson. We learned the language, sang songs and danced folk dances. However, this was not the only task that awaited us that day.

Students in international teams painted a picture on canvas depicting the beauty of nature, including the animals and vegetation they had seen the previous day in Ormanya Park. The project participants were supposed to emphasize how much we can lose if we do not take care of the environment around us.

The culmination of the task was planting several trees in the school garden, as they play a key role in the fight against climate change.They help reduce emissions of air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds.Together we created the so-called Unity Forest, which was commemorated with a plaque on the school building.

The next point of our trip was the nearby mosque, where we were welcomed by the local Imam. He not only showed us around the temple, but also told us about the Muslim religion. It was a very interesting cultural lesson for us.

We spent our last day in Turkey in the bosom of nature. First we went to the “Acarlar” floodplain forest. It is a very unique landscape that was once flooded by a river. The students' task was to take photos of places affected by negative human activity. Then, in the competition, we selected the best collage of photos presenting environmental pollution. In the afternoon we went to the "Maden Deresi" forest, where we spent time having team-building games. It was also a farewell party, during which we also received certificates and gifts. The most active participant of the project was also selected. The competition lasted for a whole week, and the students' task was to make as many friends as possible with Turkish children. Project participants received stars for making new friends. Everyone did an outstanding job in developing their social skills and each student received the "Good Erasmus" badge. 

Travel educates - we have known this for a long time. Thanks to them, we learn about the traditions and culture of a given country, make new friends, improve our life skills, improve our language, and become more open to others. We experienced all this during our project trip - each in our own way! Türkiye is a beautiful country. People there are very open and hospitable. However, I think that what touched us most was the spontaneity of the children from the Turkish school, who gave our students sweets as a sign of affection. We brought not only souvenirs to Poland. We also brought back a lot of great memories, as well as warm greetings to our entire school community.