Deplastify the Planet - 4th Students' Exchange in Huelva/Spain

From 18 November to 26 November 2023, five pupils from the 5th grade and two teachers (Mag. Florian Kaltenegger/Mag.a Eva-Maria Wilding) from BG/BRG Judenburg took part in a student exchange with schools from Belgium, Spain, Aruba and Croatia in Huelva/Spain. The 30 exchange students were accommodated with Spanish host families.

This student exchange took place as part of the EU-funded Erasmus+ project "Deplastify the Planet", which is coordinated by the Belgian partner school.

 

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Video:  https://youtu.be/qNZTWMWtcdc

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Report:

November 19-25, 2023

The Erasmus+ Student Exchange, under the theme "Deplastify the Planet," embarked on a week-long journey from November 19 to 25, 2023, fostering collaboration among international students to address the global challenge of plastic pollution.

Day 1: Sunday at School

The exchange commenced with a vibrant day of icebreaking and team-building activities, creating an atmosphere of camaraderie among participants. An emotional intelligence activity combined with sports not only encouraged teamwork but also promoted a deeper understanding of individual and collective emotions. Each participating school shared presentations, providing a glimpse into their local efforts to combat plastic pollution. The host school took center stage, showcasing their successful initiatives aimed at reducing plastic consumption.

Day 2: Monday in Sevilla

On Monday, participants set out for a day of exploration in the enchanting city of Sevilla. A guided tour allowed students to delve into the rich cultural and historical tapestry of the city. The day included a well-deserved lunch break, offering a taste of local cuisine, followed by additional visits to key locations in Sevilla.

Day 3: Tuesday - Workshops and Classes

The third day began with students immersing themselves in the local educational system, attending classes at the host school. A creative turn was taken with a comic book workshop, where students used art and storytelling to portray the impact of plastic waste on the environment. The morning concluded with a focused workshop titled "Foredunes: The Problem of Plastic Waste."

Day 4: Wednesday - UHU (University) Activities

Families took an active role on Wednesday, transporting students to the university campus. The day commenced with sports activities, promoting physical fitness and fostering teamwork within the Erasmus+ group. A break provided a moment of relaxation, followed by an engaging continuation of the comic book workshop. Families then returned to pick up students, concluding the day's activities.

Day 5: Thursday - Marismas del Odiel

Thursday saw the group departing for Marismas del Odiel, a natural reserve known for its biodiversity. The day included a cleanup activity, symbolizing the collective commitment to tackling plastic pollution. A visit from the Regional Delegate for the Environment provided valuable insights, and families contributed to a picnic lunch. The day concluded with a serene cruise on the Odiel River.

Day 6: Friday - Doñana/El Rocío

The penultimate day featured a visit to the Doñana National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the picturesque village of El Rocío. Amidst the exploration, a lunch break allowed participants to savor the local flavors of El Rocío. The day concluded with a return to the host school in the evening.

Day 7: Departure

The exchange came to an end on November 25, with participants bidding farewell as they departed for their respective countries. The "Deplastify the Planet" Erasmus+ Student Exchange not only provided a platform for cultural exchange and educational exploration but also instilled a sense of responsibility and awareness regarding the urgent need to address plastic pollution on a global scale.

Student Reports: 

Deplastify the planet – Spain

Monday and Tuesday

Monday:

At 9 a.m. on Monday, we got into the bus to Sevilla, one of the most famous cities in Andalucia. Still on our way, we passed several buildings, dedicated to the former colonies. When we arrived, we first visited the Plaza de España, the Spanish square, where there are 50 mosaics for the 50 Spanish provinces. Afterwards, the guides lead us until the entrance of the cathedral “Santa María de la Sede”, which was built from an Arab mosque in the fifteen hundreds. From there we could visit the cathedral on our own, before getting lunch. We had time to go through Sevilla afterwards, until we went back to Huelva. We arrived there around 6 p.m.

Tuesday:

On Tuesday, we went to the school. We had lectures about the environment until 8:30 a.m. Then we continued working on the project’s comic book. Since the story was already finished, our main goal was to write about the participating countries and our schools, which we scheduled for Wednesday. After a break we were introduced to the huge local problem of plastic waste in the foredunes.

Wednesday

On Wednesday we met at 9 a.m. at the University of Huelva (Universidad de Huelva). We were taken there by the host families.

Then we had some sports activities in the gymnasium. There were different stations. Everyone had to get a piece of paper with a number to determine the teams. There were four students in each team. The stations were explained to us and then two teams competed. One team played against another team at each station. And then we played something else: Everyone had to shoot each other with a ball. We could go back to the field immediately.

After that at 11 o’clock we had a half hour break during which we ate in a café near the university. When the break was over, we continued with the program.

We worked on the comic. We had to make a page about our country and our school. We should design this page as a beautiful poster with general information about our school and what our school does to reduce plastic. We had time for that until 14 o’clock.

Then we could go home and spend time with our host families or with the other students from this project.

Friday 24.November 2023

On Friday the 24th of November we went to the Doñana National Park and to the el Rocio village. At 8:30 our trip started we`ve been divided into two groups with each one Bus. On the very bumpy road we saw the magnificent nature of the national park and the beatuful beach with a nice view of the ocean. We also saw many animals on the drive for example loads of little cute birds or deers and boars. The bus made one stop in the desert part of the whole park it was very special and unforgettable. After a four hour long drive, we arrived at our main bus again which drove us to the el Rocio village.

We spent some alone time with our hosts in the village and ate our lunch together. There were Restaurants, cafes, and lots of tourist shops. At the village you were able to see many horses and flamingos. The village also had a very big church with important religious elements, you were also able to buy fresh strawberries or other types of fruit. We`ve spent three hours at the village so we arrived after that long and adventurous day at six in the evening in Huelva again.

Sunday:

At 9 a.m on Sunday, we had to be in the school called Montessori. As we arrived in the school there were no students because it was Sunday. We sat in a big room with a lot of seats. We also got to meet the other people from the different countrys. Then we ahd some icebreaking activities, for example we had some colors and a paper, then music was turned on and we had to just scribble the whole paper full. After that we also did some sport activities. Then we went bacn into the big room where every country had do present theire own school in Powerpoint and some of them also had a video like us. After every country was done with their presentation Spain had to do their’s. At 13:00 we were allowed to go home with our host families.