Bulgaria Training

Vasil Levski High School, Velingrad, Bulgaria implemented the 3rd Learning Teaching and Training (LTT) Activity for students and Teachers in Bulgaria from 26 of June till 1st of July 2022. In the LTT they are taking part students and teachers from the following schools of Europe:

• Scoala Gimnaziala "George Calinescu", Iasi, Romania

• Lykeio Agios Ioannis, Limassol, Cyprus

• 4th General Lyceum of Chania, Greece

• Agrupamento de Escolas de Vilela, Porto, Portugal

• I.C. ALIGHIERI FORMIA-VENTOTENE, Formia, Italy

Program of the Traning 

Implementation of the ACTIVITY 

This was the third face to face meeting of the partners. For every partner schools there were 4 Ss and 2 Ts. For the host school, there were 5 Ts and 20 Ss.

Every partner school had to prepare, like before, presentations of their countries, towns and schools and another presentation about the situation of water pollution in their areas. Also, each country had to prepare in advance a sketch starting from a proverb or saying related to ecology or to water in particular - topic of this mobility was "Together Against Water Pollution".

The students frequently worked in mixed international groups, creating a strong bond between the participants from the very beginning.

DAY 1:

• visit to the host school ("Vasil Levski" High School)

• presentations of the partner countries, cities and schools

• presentation of sketches dealing with ecology (mentioned above)

• a CLIL geography lesson about sources of water

• a workshop – students worked in international mixed groups to make posters with ideas about how to reduce water waste

• welcome party – traditional Bulgarian dances and food

DAY 2: 

Educational trip to Plovdiv, considered the cultural capital of Bulgaria and winner of 2022 European Best Destination. The local guide explained to the group that Plovdiv is seriously affected by climate change, being the second hottest city in Bulgaria (probably the capital is the first). We visited briefly the Old Town, the Ethnographic Museum, the Roman Forum, and the Roman ruins in the city centre.

DAY 3: 

This was a day to connect with nature. It featured a jeep safari in the Rhodopi Mountains, where the students were divided randomly into 2 international mixed groups (the Wolves and the Bears) and they had to follow a map to find construction material to build a shelter. Afterwards, each team had to create a flag and to present it in an original way. The Wolves won both challenges, as they were faster and better organised. Meanwhile, the teachers made a hike up the mountain to admire the breathtaking panorama from 1600 m above. Also, the organisers of the safari prepared lunch for the entire group on the spot of the activities.

DAY 4: 

The day began with PowerPoint presentations related to the situation of water pollution in each of the partner countries – prepared from home. Afterwards, the group visited a water processing centre, where a lecture was given by an expert followed by a workshop for the learners, making them aware that "Every drop of water is precious!". The day continued with a walk around Velingrad, especially the town centre. In the evening, there were the certificates award ceremony and the farewell party.

The advantage of this mobility is that it took place when, in most partner countries, the school year was (almost) over, meaning that there was more daily involvement from the local students and teachers, as they had more free time. Also, the international Ss did not have to keep up with lessons and they spent more time with their local hosts.

It was a mobility rich in diverse activities, as was described above.

- Working in international groups fostered bonding between the students, who could interact with their peers from the partner countries, to talk about their educational systems, about their interests and preferences, to see what is similar and what is different. The groups were changed frequently, in order to encourage student interaction on a large scale and to get to meet one another, despite the occasional difference in age between the participants. They improved their communication skills and their level of English, became more confident and less shy. They learnt how to work in a team, to respect every member's opinion and suggestion and to come to a common agreement for the good of the tasks assigned. They used their creativity and out-of-the-box thinking in order to produce their posters on the first day or flags and shelters on the third day, for example. Not surprisingly, every team had other ideas compared to the others, which shows originality and innovation.

- The ecological tasks, particularly the visit to the water processing centre, raised awareness among the participants about the importance of preserving water and knowing how to avoid polluting its sources in order to reduce the harm done on this valuable resource.

- The cultural activities contributed to becoming more open-minded and tolerant of the others, to find similarities amongst themselves and to appreciate what is different.

- The educational visits gave the participants the opportunity to see wonderful unique places, specific to the area, tightly connected to the history of the host country.

- On the whole, it was a very successful mobility for everyone, with unforgettable memories and stories to share with their peers back home.

Video for the whole implementation

Team from Bulgaria prepared this video for the whole implementation of the Activity

Final Products: Click here