Students from the Czesław Miłosz Secondary School in Jaworzno took part in a Polish-German meeting co-financed by Deutsch Polnisches Jugendwerk. The event, which took place at Kaufmannsschule II in Hagen, is the culmination of twelve years of cooperation between the schools.
What is the best way to get to know the culture of another country? The best way is to go on an inter-school exchange to a partner country. In March, students from the Czesław Miłosz High School in Jaworzno took part in a project called The Hag-worzno Connection, conducted with German students in English.
Thanks to German-Polish cooperation with peers from the Kaufmannsschule II school in Hagen, the secondary school students developed their communication skills in English, learned not only about German culture, traditions and religions, but also about those from further afield in Europe and even the world. It was a week devoted to work under the motto „diversity”. The project participants discussed in depth the differences and similarities between their cities, regions and countries. The project opened young people’s eyes to people and to the world.
The project started with a preparatory meeting in the hospitable surroundings of Jaworzno’s Municipal Public Library, where the most important aspects and goals of the exchange were discussed. Thanks to the courtesy of the Jaworzno City Museum and a very interesting lecture by curator Adrian Rams, the project participants went to Germany thoroughly prepared in the history of their city and region.
Pupils from both schools integrated during joint lessons at the German school. Over the following days, the pupils developed posters about the diversity of Poland and Germany and the links between Jaworzno and Hagen. As the German young people come from many corners of the world, they represent different cultural backgrounds. Therefore, a dinner at the school, consisting of exotic dishes prepared in the homes of the hosts, was an amazing experience. There was admiration for the culinary artistry and emotion at the sight of the Polish presents.
Najważniejszymi punktami projektu były wycieczki krajoznawcze do pobliskich miast. W Kolonii uczestnicy wspólnie odwiedzili słynną katedrę w centrum miasta. Wielką atrakcją dla wszystkich, zarówno uczniów, jak i nauczycieli, była wspinaczka na szczyt katedry i muzeum etnograficzne Rautenstrauch-Joest. W Dortmundzie uczniowie odwiedzili Deutsches Fußballmuseum oraz Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte.
After returning to Poland, a summary meeting and official closing of the project also took place at the Municipal Public Library. For the students of the Secondary School in Jaworzno, this exchange was a valuable experience that has resulted in friendships and closer Polish-German relations. In the near future, the Secondary School will welcome guests from Hagen, representing the Kaufmannsschule II school. The guests will participate in classes, school life and extracurricular activities of the exchange participants from Jaworzno.
