Erasmus Students in Schools

The Erasmus in Schools programme is an opportunity for every foreign student of the University of Opole to share their culture with students of local secondary schools. The main aim of this initiative is to overcome stereotypes concerning other countries, while encouraging young people to participate in the Erasmus+ Programme and to create intercultural relations. 

So far we have established a collaboration with High School No. 5 in Opole, in particular with Elżbieta Olak-Posadzka, an English teacher. All meetings are held under the care of our Buddha Mentors. They not only present the presenters, but also the opportunities offered by the Erasmus+ and Buddy Mentor programmes.

The series of meetings was initiated by our students from Turkey - Eyüphan Şablalı and Yunus Emre Gengeç, who visited High School No. 5 on November 23, and presented their country to high school students. The students were delighted with traditional Turkish dishes, the beauty of Turkey itself, and were eager to ask questions. 

Another presentation took place on 27 November. This time, Ciro Fernández Briones and López Díaz Seni, students from Spain, presented their country. The participants admired the magnificent landscapes and boasted of Spanish phrases they knew. Ciro and Seni shared with the audience not only facts about the culture and traditions of their country, but also contemporary problems facing the people of Spain - corruption, politics and restrictions on freedom of speech.

After Spain the time has come to Mexico. Alex Villegas presented it on 29th November. Once again, the students became very involved in the classes and were keen to learn about the culture, cuisine and traditions of the country.

We expect more participants in the project in the future. Only through dialogue will we be able to overcome stereotypes and prejudices, which will help future generations to increase their intercultural sensitivity.