Ties: First Mobility To The Isle of Wight

January 23rd, 2020. The first cultural exchange for the project “Ties” has just concluded: an intense week has been spent on The Isle of Wight College where partners from Crema and Bari (Italy), Newport (Isle of Wight), Belfort (France), Peso da Regua (Portugal) and Ploiesti (Romania) have shared their work about “Festivals” and realised a minifestival called “Mockingjay” to raise money for the emergency in Australia. Students and teachers have worked together in international groups, visited local museums and historical sites and, above all, they have made new friends. Let’s see how the experience of internationalisation has enriched and enhanced learning experiences among the students.

---

“Having lived an Erasmus experience has made me see the world with different eyes. Thanks to the incredible opportunity I was given, I was able to meet girls and boys from five schools in different countries. During my stay I was hosted by a local family who allowed me to fully immerse in the English culture. On Monday 13th we met the various groups and presented videos about our town and on the festival of Saint Nicholas and then, we started to work with our partners to organise our own festival to raise funds to donate for the Australian forest fire emergency. The festival, which we decided to call The Mockingjay, took place on Thursday 13th in a classroom of the Isle Of Wight College, and I am happy to know that we have donated money to the WWF. When we were not in school, we visited some of the island's museums such as the Quay Arts center, the Portsmouth museum, "Mary Rose" where we saw an ancient shipwreck and the Castle of Carisbrooke. The main center of the island is Newport where there is also the college, that we reached in the morning by bus. This meant we had to move independently relying on our ability to move autonomously. The experience was also very beautiful as I was given the opportunity to create strong and sincere ties, not only with the teachers and classmates, but also with foreign students. I can absolutely say that this trip has changed me, matured and made me discover qualities that I did not think to have, as well as new and important skills for my future.” Mattia Trentini

---

“Staying on the Isle of Wight was an experience I would never forget.

It was really exciting to share 5 days with young people from other European countries, other cultures, ways of doing and thinking. This experiece helped me to improve my ability to communicate in English. I spent fantastic moments with my mates and teachers. At the Isle of Wight College we have worked in mixed nationalities groups and the common goal was to organize a festival. The task of my group was to plan music, food and entertainment for the festival, we enjoyed working together and I could see how my partners shared the same taste in music!”

Bianca Loiacono

---

“The experience of this exchange which involved five different countries and took place on the Isle of Wight was an amazing opportunity for me and the other students who participated as well.

There were a lot of sharing and group comparison activities. It allowed us to improve our communication skills and learn new things about foreign cultures.

The purpose of this project was to realize a festival that included traditions, customs, and typical dishes of every country involved, adding songs and dances which cheered up, even more, the atmosphere.

Furthermore, we even had a chance to take a look at the historical buildings of Newport, such as the castle and the museum, visit the city by using public transport and learning more about the British lifestyle, above all thanks to the availability of the families who hosted us for five days. The experience was really engaging, each one of us was able to give personal opinions and contribute to the realization of the project. Thanks to our teachers that were always by our sides, we didn’t have any problem so we really had the opportunity to fully enjoy every type of activity which was proposed to us.

I would definitely recommend such an amazing experience which allowed me to overcome my limits, learn to socialize with people completely different from me and learn many new things about their traditions, which really amazed me.” Giada Cassano

---

“The stay on the Isle of Wight was a fantastic experience, it was very nice to be with other kids of my age from various parts of Europe, I improved my language and communication skills.

I also spent many happy moments with my classmates and with our teachers.

The activities organized on this island were based on group work aimed at organizing a festival.

My group was in charge of choosing a title and the purpose of this festival.

It wasn't easy to decide on a title that everyone liked but in the end we succeeded; instead the purpose of the festival was very easy to decide.

The trip to get in the island was very long, however, it was also made pleasant by the wonderful company I had.” Pasquale Caldarazzo