INTERNATIONAL YOUTH EXCHANGE INTERNATIONAL YOUTH EXCHANGE THE PROJECT OF INTERNATIONAL YOUTH EXCHANGE “THE DIALOGUE OF COMMON VALUES"       Our project is aimed at developing common solidarity and responsibility for the United Europe on the basis of the historical experience that affected our nations 70 years ago – II World War.The project is going to be the consistent step of our previous project that we conducted with this partner group last year. We worked on European values within the countries and societies we live in. In this project we want to focus on activities that will enable us to gain awareness about the values that must never be rejected, such as mutual respect, tolerance and integration leading to equable development. At the same time, considering the experience of II World War, we will reflect on the factors that contributed to this event: racism, xenophobia, social excluding, inequality between nations and ethnic groups. We do understand that building the Common Europe we must keep in mind to fight the attitude that led to the world of division. As the citizens of Europe, we want to create the European society build on values that guarantee equality, respect for human life and safety, tolerance to everybody, no matter their origin, religion or culture. Additionally, working together we are going to continue the wide dialogue concerning the issue of the European youth’s citizenship and the intercultural education. We will investigate deeply our nations’ cultures with their diversity, differences and similarities, and due to this mutual recognition we hope to strengthen our unity and enrich our consciousness on the theme of being active European citizens. We will cooperate using the interactive methods of work with maximum involvement of every single member of the project. Our project will result in creating a web-page on our undertaking, a photo-book presenting our initiatives and reflections, posters, articles, multimedia presentations, various activities addressed to the local community. The final event of the project at the city old square “The Dialogue of Common Values”, with the participation of the living witnesses of the war– will let us evaluate how much we have gained together and how much we have developed our awareness concerning active membership in European society of human values. The partners from Finland prepared such Logo of the project of the partnership. Everybody got it on the T-shirts. The welcome of the partners from Nurmijarvi near Helsinki on The Chopin Airport. One of the presentations in the process of intercultural learning - the features of Finnish culture. The dancing workshops - mutual learning. The Concentration Camp in Sztutowo - the study visit connected with the main idea of our project. Bydgoszcz as a place strictly connected to II World War. Warsaw - The Monument of the Warsaw Uprising - the special place for understanding the patriotisma of the nation of Poles. The Chopin Airport again - we're richer due to the common and unique experience. PROJECT 2009 - POLAND - FINLAND       Our meeting with the project partners in Finland was aimed to share our multicultural values. The whole partner group on the main square of Helsinki. One of the common activities that we conducted - art project. In the beauty spots of Finnish nature. The interactive methods of work in recognising today's educational and job market. Getting ready to self - presentation in front of the whole school. Common rest meant singing and a lot of other amusement typical for the Finns. We prepared presentations about the countries of the partner groups including the grpup from China that could not participate in this part of our project.. The national kitchen - the workshops during which we got to know our tastes and favourites. Our meeting with the local authorities - we learn about educational system in Finland. Relaxing after the day full of activities - barbecue, of course.... The Polish flag next to the Finnish one; we were the guests that were hosted with open minds, interest and respect for our general and national values. We are very proud of it.. A BRIDGE OVER EUROPE – IN THE RHYTHM OF THREE CULTURES INTERNATIONAL YOUTH EXCHANGE POLNAND – SPAIN A HOSTING PROJECT          The project titled „The Bridge Over Europe – In the Rhythm of Three Cultures” took place in Bydgoszcz, Poland in July 2008. The Informal Group UNDERGROUND consisting of 16 Polish young people hosted in their home town Bydgoszcz their partner group El Mosaico Del Guadalcanal from Spain. The second part of the project which started last year in Guadalcanal resulted with the final part the activities of which allowed the mutual culture and customary recognizing. We had the opportunity to share our local, regional and national heritage, show the partners the way of our living, learn from each other about our national traditions and customs. We integrated deeply conducting the project together, sharing our passions, interests and views on the reality of teenagers from distant parts of united Europe. The main theme and task was to experience the dialogue between different cultures and societies and to enrich ourselves and our values due to being open and eager to cooperate. The main idea of the project, so called “the red line” was preparing the Polish – Spanish Youth Journal of Exchange which is not only a diary of our meeting stage but also a common reflection on uniting nations, various cultures and the unity of targets and objectives. With our Spanish partners we considered the problems concerning today’s and tomorrow’s Europe, the aspects of all European citizens no matter the country the live in. We agreed on the decision that our idea of cooperation gives us the right to consider those crucial matters. We wanted to convince ourselves and the others that this bridge over Europe between Poland and Spain allows to take up the common dialogue, to name aloud our mutual needs and expectations, to verify our possibilities in the actions conducted together. And all this was possible despite cultural, geographical and mental differences between the two nations. External results of the project that we gained are: - The Internet Youth Magazine of the Exchange. - Multimedia, theatre, musical presentations. - National Kitchen. - National dances presentations. - Culture evening. - TV program about the exchange. - Press reports and articles. - “Expectations and Hopes Wall” Apart from that we have gained valuable changes of our personalities moderating the perception of the world, interpersonal relations, the way of recognizing our own identity and the changes that enable us to function in the European society better and in a more effective way. INTERNATIONAL YOUTH EXCHANGE IN THE SCHOOL YEAR 2006/ 2007 The following project has been realized with the financial support of The Program “Youth in Action” – Action 1.1 The content of this project do not necessarily express the standpoint of European Commonwealth or National Agency and these institutions do take responsibility for them. RESEARCH FOR UNITY        This is the title of the first part of international polish – spanish youth exchange the first part of which took place in Guadalcanal near Sevilla in the south of Spain. The informal group “Underground” consisting of the local community young members and mainly of the present and former students of The Group of Schools no 22 in Bydgoszcz spent 15 days in the country of the project partners. The project which we had started almost 2 years ago resulted with the final part the activities of which strictly described in its schedule allowed for the mutual culture, customary recognizing. We had also the opportunity to observe different roots of historical heritage of Andalusia, which make this region unusual among all other Spanish regions and other European countries. The way we worked together depended “a bit” on the climate conditions of the south of Spain. The temperatures about 38°C made us be active in the late afternoons and early evenings mainly while the firs part of a day we spent on the recreation activities during which we integrated very much sharing individually our passions, interests and personal views on everyday reality of the teenagers from so distant parts of Europe. The project activities had a lot of different targets aimed at gaining very specific results such as: multimedia, theatre, musical and art presentations, the chronicle of the events recording not only the facts but emotions, feelings, expectations, hopes as well, national kitchen, common learning dances sevillanas and flamenco originated from Andalusia, culture evenings called “The Smile for Unity” when the mutual recognition was on a very high level on account of the participation of almost all members of the local community in them. This is what we could only wish to have here in Poland. These external effects are still in the stage of realization. The project is still on. The evaluation part of the project is still being carried on, we are preparing the article to be published in the local newspapers, the annual magazine and we are planning to build the project homepage showing not only the results but being a link between this and the second part of the exchange – the partners’ visit in Poland. What have we gained? Lots of these results will stay long outside our conscious knowledge, because there are lots of personality changes which moderate the perceiving of the world, interpersonal relations, the way of noticing our own identity. Open access to new challenges, the ability to deal with new, difficult situations, respect and tolerance for new, unknown factors, being aware of new culture standards, will and ability to group working, the critical attitude to own acting, making own identity stronger and more clear, brave expressing of own opinions with the respect for the others’, creativity in solving the problems, group responsibility, the ability to make decisions, learning on emotional and behavioral levels – these are only some of advantages and changes which start functioning within personality of young people who thanks to such experience begin to function as the individuals with key abilities necessary to be a part of today’s world society. We got to know the local community very different from ours. We had the opportunity to be the integral part of it for a while. We were hosted heartily, With the whole acceptation and we could participate in their life with no limits. We could witness the reality where the inhabitants of Guadalcanal share their commonplaceness in all possible ways, no matter the age, the material or social status the have. What unites them is the absolute attentiveness about their traditions, customs, handing down all what is precious in the culture to the young generation, regularity and solidity in realizing their passions which are: music, dance, singing, ceremonial and culture events, and also the unusual warmth and kindness that they show to each other making this small, andalusian village the place on Earth which can be a model to the other, much more developed societies. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 - The concert of the Guadalcanl orchestra in Sevilla - among the performers are our project partners. 2 - Paelia, the magic dish of Andalucia... It was hard to deal with it. 3 - Sevilla has opened our eyes to the welth of multicultural region of the partners. 4 - Now we know why our hosts have named their group "El Mosaico de Guadalcanal". 5 - Some impressions of different kind... 6 - It is best to talk sitting in a circle. 7 - We had the opportunity to have lessons of flamenco and sevillanas. It was not easy at all. 8 - How do they do it...? 9 - In such places we could see how rich culture heritage our friends can be proud of. 10 - The inhabitants of Guadalcanal sang and palyed specially for us. 11 - At last we could show what some of us only had managed to learn... unfortunately. 12 - We could also show what we are good at. 13 - We were amazed with their passions. 14 - Of course common football. But in what a picturesque place... 15 - Our musical presentations prepared earlier in Poland. 16 - In a minute our theatrical performance - last consultations. 17 - "The Purpose Driven Life" - our play in english was probably not the easier to watch it for the audience. 18 - "The Purpose Driven Life" - our play in english was probably not the easier to watch it for the audience. 19 - The spectators - our partners, their families, friends and other people from Guadalcanal. We We were jelaous of such theatre. 20 - The spanish performance - traditional, comic story showing the customs of Andalucian family. 21 - National kitchen - big variety and a big... mistery. 22 - Due to spanish temperamets the farawell evening turned int the singing and dancing event. 23 - Due to spanish temperamets the farawell evening turned int the singing and dancing event. 24 - One of evaluation meetings. 25 - Is it possible to get friends during fifteen days? It's enough to have a look. 26 - It is worth to take this custom - common dining in the late evening... 27 - Common expeditions despite the sun and hot weather were always an occasion to know each other better and to ascertain in acting. 28 - The prise of some minutes in a traditional costume was worth the work. 29 - Both spanish and polish groups had no difficulties with integration process. 30 - First common picture - surrounded with the sun and mutual warmth. 31 - The symbol of Andalucia: olive tree. All was happening among olive-groves... THE VISIT OF THE PARTNERS FROM ROVANIEMI       We conducted the second part of the international youth exchange with the partner group from Rovaniemi hosting them in Bydgoszcz in 12 – 19 May 2007. Sixteen participants and two coordinators had the opportunity to appear in the polish culture reality, watch our educational system, meet The President of Bydgoszcz talking about our common experience and feel the members of the polish hosting family. We learned to walk “in the Finnish way”. Which is walking with sticks. It was the project called “Nordic Walking in Poland”. We traveled to the places of the particularly rich cultural and historical heritage. Project partizipants in Gdańsk 1                                         2 3                                         4 1 - In our home town. 2 - 'Nordic walking" training 3 - At the Municipal Office - meeting with The President of Bydgoszcz Konstanty Dombrowicz 4 - "Finnish evevning" - presentation of the finnish culture THE FINNISH VISIT IN POLAND         On March we conducted the preliminary visit of the finnish group coordinators from Rovaniemi. The meeting resulted with the final preparations of the hosting visit of the partner group in Poland which is going to take place on 12- 19 may 2007. We talked over the last program schedule details and exchanged our mutual expectations and hopes. TRILATERAL PROJECT POLAND - FINLAND - SPAIN         Together with the partners from so distant countries we decided to start working on the trilateral project: Poland, Finland and Spain. The groups of the students will have the opportunity to participate in the dialogue of three cultures, no matter all borders and distance. Meetings of three groups in each country will be the final part of our common work. We are going to start in Poland. The project coordinators talking about the activities schedule. Nurmijarvi, Finland 2006. POLAND – FINLAND Bydgoszcz - Rovaniemi          We are getting ready to the spring visit of our Finnish partners from Rovaniemi. We will host them here in Poland and this is going to be the final part of one and a half year lasting project work titled “Arctic Safari – Meeting at the Edge of Europe”. POLAND – SPAIN          We have started the cooperation with the group of students from Guadalcanal placed near Sevilla in the south of Spain. Our partners are the group of youth united by the will of getting to know other European teenagers and also very eager to show and share the culture of their country and the region of Andalucia. Together with the group called “El Mosaico de Guadalcanal” we have started the common work on the project the final part of which will result in our visit in Spain and then the partners visit in Poland. The part of 16 – students’ group from Spain. POLAND – NORWAY          Mysen located to the south –east of Oslo is the place of living of our partners from Norway. In September 2006 we commonly decided to start our cooperation. It’s result is commonly created internet youth magazine called “Polish – Norwegian Journal” ( www.mysenskoleavis.org ). On this site we publish interesting us facts and opinions concerning different aspects of our countries and regions culture and also the youth culture and everyday events connected with our school life. We hope to develop our cooperation in the meaning of the common project resulting the meeting in both partner countries. Here is our partner group from Norway. THE INTERNATIONAL YOUTH EXCHANGE POLAND – SWEDEN BYDGOSZCZ, JUNE 2006          The second part of the international exchange Poland Sweden resulted in the visit of the Swedish group in Poland. We hosted our friends from Stockholm, Sundbyberg, where we had met for the first time in November 2006. Our common mutual recognition was enriched enormously by being the hosts in our school, city and the region and of course in our houses. What we have gained together is the common way of crossing culture, language and individualistic borders. Due to almost two years lasting work through the set of cognitive projects with the partners we had the opportunity to participate in the events the results of which will enable us to enter upon next undertakings like that one. The meeting at school - we are recollecting the visit in Stockholm and talking about the next steps. The Leaning Tower in Toruń. Impressed by Toruń... Right before the next journey... Venice... but still in Poland. Internationally in Biskupin. Evaluating our achievements. Look how busy they are! Polish traditional farewell - by the fire. Swedish and polish songs get us closer. INTERNATIONAL YOUTH EXCHANGE POLAND – FINLAND, NÜRMIJÄRVI, ROVANIEMI, IVALO, INARI APRIL 30TH – MAY 13TH 2006         We have carried on the second part of the three international youth exchanges that we have participated in so far together with the partners from southern, northern Finland and from Sweden. This time we were hosted in Rovaniemi – the town placed on The Arctic Circle which is famous all over the world for Santa Claus. For us however it was just one of lots of aspects worth being experienced. First of all due to the exchange we were able to come into being in the reality so much different from ours. Lapland, the wonderland full of magic, full of unraveled (at the first sight) mysteries. The land of unusual people, distant, cool, yet totally inverse after having known them. We participated in our partners’ lessons, we organized art workshops (each of us have brought a talisman or other charm of reindeer horn made by himself), we prepared musical and theatrical presentations. We had a trip near the Norwegian border to Ivalo and Inari where the nature indicates how different the world in one Europe can be. The mutual recognition was not easy. It was necessary to break the stereotypes which might have been a kind of trouble if it hadn’t been for a project such as our exchange. We did our best in the meaning of our common work before and during the meeting but also in a literal meaning. For our friends from Rovaniemi it was the first experience of the kind. They were a bit afraid and not quite sure how the things were going to be. However then we heard the words which can be an award for us and the top of the common work: thanks to this undertaking the door of the school of Lapland has been open to the world… The project is still being carried on. We are getting ready to host the partner group in Poland next year. We hope to widen the borders of the mutual recognition and to find next common fascinations – this time in our country. "Bydgoszcz" in Helsinki - Vantaa Airport The Arctic Circle underneath our feet... Some instructions before the rail track. Inarijarvi - frozen lake with the air temperature +23. In igloo with short sleeves...? At handcraft workshop. We are supposed to start working soon.. At work - sculptures on finnish impressions. The results... are imressive. Wonderland of Lappish nature. See you in Poland - at Rovaniemi Airport. INTERNATIONAL YOUTH EXCHANGE POLAND – SWEDEN SUNDBYBERG, STOCKHOLM NOVEMBER 14-21 2005 After almost one year’s time of cooperation we participated in the first part of the project in the country of our partners. Common work with the group from Hallonbergskolan, Sundbyberg- the quarter of Stockholm enabled us to be a part of international society and face the reality quite different from ours. Our friends represent wide variety of nations, cultures and customs as well. We were able to participate in school classes and get to know Swedish educational system. We conducted lots of common activities due to which both sides had a chance to become more open and tolerant. During our stay in Sweden we visited marvelous sites in Stockholm such as Vasa Museum, Municipal Town Hall, Skansen “Sverige”. We sailed through the archipelago where the capital city is picturesquely situated. We saw the oldest and the biggest university in Scandinavia in the town Uppsala. It was quite a big challenge to us to stay with the hosting families of our partners. Thanks to that we were able to become a member of the Swedish family for some time. Differences and similarities enriched us enormously. In June 2006 we will hosts our partners in Poland. Before that however there is a lot of work waiting for both sides. We aim at the maximum opportunities of getting to know about each other and at the same time strengthen our identities as nations and as one European society. Polish - Swedish group, the participants of the project Stockholm – Venice of the north First common classes in Hallonbergskolan New friendships Evaluation meeting „LEARNING DIFFERENT CULTURES AS A WAY TO ENHANCE OWN IDENTITY .”            The exchange project members are the students of The Group no 22 in Bydgoszcz, aged 14 – 17. The group was initiated while the set of tasks prepared together with Swedish coordinators and conducted since March 2005 – SMYLE – Show Me Your Life and Environment. Reliability, deep involvement, creativity were the criteria deciding about membership in the program.             The leading objectives are concentrated on intercultural learning, mutual educational projects and on practicing communication in English. The result of all these activities will be overcoming the internal and external borders, openness to differences and willingness to contact other people. It is also crucial to enable young people to learn and understand the rich heritage of European culture, promote the respect to other nation, tolerance to customs and the style of living which may differ from their own one.            In October 2005 we hosted the Swedish coordinators in our school. During their visit we encountered all details concerning organization and other essential matters of two parts of the exchange: our stay in Stockholm and the partners’ visit in Poland. Preparation visit – meeting of the Swedish coordinators with the Polish group. Polish and Swedish tutors – preparing the schedule of further work INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE POLAND – FINLAND 2004/ 2005 I. THE YOUNG ARTIST, THE YOUNG EUROPEAN - EDUCATION BT ART . II. WE COMMONLY ENJOY EUROPE.             The group of Polish youth called “It’s Cool”- fifteen students aged 14/ 15 participated in the project of international youth exchange with the partner country Finland. The final part of the first stage took part in Nurmijarvi in Finland in May 2004. A year later the return visit was held. The members of both groups who generated the idea of the cooperation and put it into life share the same interests concerning practicing communication in English, art and drama skills and above all real and deep willingness to get to know teenagers from other European countries.. The leading idea of the project was the intercultural recognition of Poland and Finland, exchanging information and experiences about everyday reality of both nations, passions and interests of partners. Communicating in English gave participants the opportunity to develop their language abilities in the process of becoming fluent and competitive users of it. The international context of the project titled “The Young Artist, the Young European – Education by Art”(part one) and “We Commonly Enjoy Europe” (part two) – indicates the methods of working while carrying it into effect. The below methods of working created the conditions to develop and deepen the key skills which are necessary nowadays: · theatre performances · music and art presentations · discussions and debates about the youth’s role in today’s and future Europe · surveys conducted within different society Civilization and social matters of the world demand thinking and acting on the global level and the only way to solve these problems leads by effecting working in the group, efficient communication, collective dealing within new, complicated situations, ability to present the own point of view with the respect to the others’ opinions . The expectations towards such changes in young people’s knowledge and behavior are one of the most important bearings confirming the success of the whole undertaking. Finnish group in Poland – at The Municipal Office, meeting with the European Union Representative of The President of Bydgoszcz Polish culture heritage in the eyes of the project partners. The cultural treasure of Kujawsko- Pomorski Region Kościeliska Valley in The Tatra Mountains Visit in Finland – Polish- Finnish group in Helsinki      Vantaa Airport in Helsinki - the last picture before the departure PARTICIPANTS’ IMPRESSIONS: "We had the next occasion to change the diversity of our countries into mutual understanding and cultural enrichment" Anieszka "We want our project to help us and the others appreciate the effects of European integration, to present the culture of our countries and nations, to notice that in spite of differences we have much in common. Noone of us is either better or worse and we can learn a lot fro each other" Jakub "It's great to plan and put such undertaking into life. Now when everything was successfully provided I cannot imagine not to carry on." Paweł "That's incredible how much we share despite the obvious differences." Kasia "I was a bit shy, hardly believed in myself. Now I guess it has changed." Miriam "Polish people are really great - so friendly and helpful. In Finland you have to do everything on your own to be appreciated." Eeva "We learned how to keep a distance top ourselves. I consider it very important." Ola "I think we have all benefited greatly from this project. Facing new challenges helped young people believe in themselves and feel they are not just a separate nation but the part of Europe, among many other nations." Virpi "Being open to integration - none of the nation is better. It all makes us wealthier and we should share the common good." Tuulja