Building Bridges Between Cultures: SHORT-TERM EXCHANGES OF GROUPS OF PUPILS IN BAGHERIA, PALERMO, ITALY

REPORT - December 2019

First day

In the morning, all groups of students and accompanying teachers were present at the school. Some students wore traditional costumes. To begin with, all the students and teachers gathered in a large hall where the school principal, Mr.Giuseppe Carlino wished to welcome the guests.

Then the Italian coordinator, Mr. Antonino Maggiore, took the groups of school students to the labs, classes and gymnasium.

After the school tour, the students were divided into groups and attended classes.

The classes that received the foreign students were Gymnasium de primo grado, secondo e terzo. The students worked in mixted teams.

After lunch, the students from the working teams met in the school meeting room. Here was the deputy director, Mrs Alessia Maione. Each team of students gave some objects of art craft and promotional products of their schools for the Erasmus + corner.

Danish team

Romanian team

Spanish team

Turkish team

Then there was the presentation of Power Point materials and films titled "Be a hero saying no to violence" made by each country.

Turkish team

Danish team

Romanian team

Spanish team

Italian team

Second day

In the morning all the students attended classes.

After lunch, the international seminar “Be a hero saying no to violence” took place. At the seminar all teams from partner countries from Denmark, Romania Spain and Turkey participated. From Italy the participants were:

- The deputy director, Mrs. Alessia Maione

- Students and teachers from the project staff

- Members of the local community - parents and an Italian businessmen, Mrs. Mattuzzi Valter

- members of the NGO Association “CASA DEI GIOVANI” (http://www.casadeigiovani.it) who works for the recovery of drug addicts and girls who are victims of prostitution - Mrs. Stefania Russello, psychologist, project coordinator “Maddalena” from the Association “Casa dei Giovani”, a Roman Catholic Priest, Padre Giuseppe Lo Bue and other 2 members.

- Representatives of local authorities, Mr. Giuseppe Puleo manager at a union of the national state police SIULP

- Local television “TELEONE BAGHERIA“ who took interviews of 5 European coordinators (https://www.facebook.com/teleone.it/videos/vb.124859507554067/879005792501977/?type=2&theater)

The third day

In the morning the students attended classes.

Between 11.00 - 12.00 there was a visit to the school "Istituto Comprensivo Statale Padre Pino Puglisi". The school bears the name of a priest killed by the Mafia. Here the students and teachers were welcomed by the headteacher, DS Vincenzo Guarneri and the teacher Domenico Buccheri, presented the history of the school and its vision.

After the speeches, the students of the school performed a short artistic - musical program.

After lunch, the group visited “No Mafia Memorial Museum” dedicated to the Mafia victims, where the students learned about the horrors and violence that this criminal organization had on the inhabitants of Sicily and the risks that the generations of the young, uneducated or from very poor environments have such as taking part in any kind of illegal organizations.

Further, the group of foreign and Italian students together with the teachers were invited to the Bagheria City Hall (https://comune.bagheria.pa.it/) where they were welcomed by Mr. Barone Angelo. He greeted the participants in the project and emphasized the importance of this project for the local community. Several representatives of partner countries taking part in the project exchanged their local traditional objects.

The fourth day

In the morning, the students attended the classes.

After lunch, students from the project teams of 5 countries made an EXHIBITION of posters and photographs and drawings made together in the mixed teams during the art classes in the main hall of the school. There were exchanges of impressions between the participants.

In memory of all those who suffered and died in the name of social justice and the fight against violence, a Graffiti activity was organized in the school hall under the guidance of the teacher Marianna D'Acquisto. The symbolism of the red poppies represents the bloodshed and the tree from The image is called the Falcone tree, after the name of the magistrate Giovanni Falcone killed by the Mafia on May 23, 1992. In front of his house is a tree with messages against violence.

At the end of the exhibition, meeting evaluation questionnaires were completed and some pictures and impressions were posted on the project blog.

The coordinator, Mr. Antonino Maggiore and the other teachers of the project’s staff, Mrs. Nunzia De Luca, Mrs. Marianna D'acquisto, Mrs. Maria Concetta Ficano and Mr. Camilo De Lisi gave the Participation Certificates during the Farewell party. At this meeting participated also all the Italian families who hosted the foreign students in their home.

PHOTOS WITH THE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WHO HOSTED FOREIGN STUDENTS

IMPRESSIONS OR THE STUDENTS AFTER THE MOBILITY

ROMANIAN STUDENTS

- Italy and Italian people are very nice and warm. The family that I stayed with was very kind and eager to help. The food was tasty.

The school children were very friendly and I could understand them with ease.

I was impressed of Italian school because they have a lot of artistic events. I saw the Italian students are very happy at school. (CEZAR VANA SILAGHI)

- The school was beautiful with all those art pieces on the walls.

Through the project’s activities we learned how violence can appear in different forms and how we can fight it. I was impressed by the way the school pays great attention to the martyrs of violence in Sicily through the Memorial in the school hall and the graffiti we did together.

The family that I stayed at was very nice and friendly.

The other kids were friendly and we made strong bonds between us.(SOFIA TOLBARU)

- The experience in school was great! The Silvia’s family where I’ve been hosted was very kind and very nice. They were very thoughtful with me. Every day they gave me traditional food – I love “pasta”. I learn a lot about the lifestyle of our colleagues.

This was my first time in Italy and the city was very beautiful. I will miss the family and Italy! (MAIA MALUREANU)

- The families in Italy are very kind to the guests. The children from Italy are very understanding with all the others and they have some very strong connections between them.

Bagheria school is a school with many opportunities, teachers are very intelligent, full of understanding and help pupils understand their subjects – they work together. I made a lot of friends with Italian students but also the others students from Turkey, Spain and Denmark. We changed the e-mails and WhatsApp connections. We work together and it was just perfect. I liked a lot this experience, I love Italy and Italian people.💕 (EUGEN CIPU)

- This was my first Erasmus+ mobility. Bagheria really surprised me with its beauty and kind people. I felt welcomed and I had the chance to make new friends and learn about different cultures. I also learned about the really life and problems that the Italian students have. I thank to my teachers, to all the teachers that give us good education. Thank you Erasmus! (MARIA MERDESCU)

DANISH STUDENTS