From 1 to 6 March, Institut d’Auro in Santpedor welcomed a group of 13 students and 2 teachers from the school 6ο Γυμνάσιο Καβάλας (Greece) as part of the Erasmus+ project, a programme that enables educational exchanges between different European countries.

During these days, the students took part in various educational, cultural and exchange activities with the aim of learning more about Catalan culture, sharing experiences and working together on values such as inclusion and sustainability.

At the same time, the school also hosted a Greek teacher from the same school who came to carry out a job shadowing stay. This experience allowed him to learn first-hand about the Catalan education system, the functioning of our school, attend different classes and work alongside the teachers of Institut d’Auro.

On Sunday, 1 March, the Greek team arrived at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport in the afternoon. After travelling to Santpedor, the students were welcomed at the school by the host families, host students and the teachers involved in the project. Each student then went to stay with their host family to begin a week full of shared experiences.

On Monday, 2 March, the official reception took place at the school with the participation of the school management team, students and teachers involved in the project. During the day, several ice-breaking activities were organised, the programme for the week was presented and the Greek students took part in a guided tour of the school. They also attended classes with their Catalan partners and participated in a scavenger hunt around the town of Santpedor.

On Tuesday, 3 March, the activities focused on culture and inclusion. The students participated in workshops about Catalan culture such as the Ball de Bastons traditional dance and an introduction to the Castellers and human towers. Later, they attended an inclusive activity organised by AMPANS at Masia Comabella, where they learned about the association and practised Inclusive Boccia, a Paralympic sport. The day continued with a reflection activity about what inclusion means in today’s society and ended with a farewell lunch with families, students and teachers in the school canteen.

On Wednesday, 4 March, the students visited the Santpedor Town Hall, where they were welcomed by the mayor, Agustí Coma. During the morning they also worked on sustainability and recycling, learning about the door-to-door waste collection system (Porta a Porta) used in Santpedor and comparing it with the recycling system in the Greek city of Kavala. In addition, students took on the role of journalists, creating articles and audiovisual content about the Erasmus experience for the school website and social media.

On Thursday, 5 March, the group went on a cultural trip to Barcelona. During the visit they discovered some of the most emblematic places in the city, such as the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc, Plaça Espanya, La Sagrada Família, and Passeig de Gràcia with Gaudí’s famous buildings such as La Pedrera and Casa Batlló. They also enjoyed a walk along Las Ramblas and El Born until reaching Port Vell.

Finally, on Friday, 6 March, the Greek students began their journey back home after an intense week of learning, coexistence and cultural exchange that we will all remember for a long time.

We hope that the teachers and students from Kavala felt at home during their stay with us!