Greece LTT
May 13 – 17, 2019
The second Learning, Teaching and Training Activity for the Erasmus + project Sports and Diversity was completed successfully in Katerini, Greece. From Monday the 13th of May to Friday the 17th of May 2019, thirty six students and sixteen teachers from three Vocational and three General Education schools, from six European countries, France, the coordinator, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Malta and  Poland took part in a five-day  learning programme.

In the course of five busy days thirty six students and sixteen teachers from the 4th Lyceum of Katerini, the Prirodomatematicheska Gimnaziya "Vasil Drumev", of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, the Lycée Professionnel Ferdinand Buisson of Ermont, France, the IIS "Stendhal", of Civitavecchia, Italy, the Alternative Learning Programme of Paola, Malta, the Zespol Szkol Ogolnoksztalcacych nr 1 w Kwidzynie, of Kwidzyn, Poland, engaged in joint activities aimed at enhancing both their awareness of the diversity of European cultures and their common features, and outdoor activities which combined physical exercise with the enjoyment and appreciation of nature. The 4th Lyceum of Katerini Erasmus+ work group was comprised of the following teachers and students: Panagiotis Efthymiou (teacher), Georgios Balogiannis (teacher), Evangelia Theodoridou (teacher), Sofia Tsironi (teacher), Sevasti Panteliadou (teacher), Thomas Mitsopoulos (teacher),  Eleftherios Anastasiou (student), Georgios Dallas (student), Thomas Batzakis (student), Aikaterini Pariori (student), Vasiliki Tzitzili (student), Anastasia Tigka (student).
At the premises of the 4th Lyceum of Katerini, the first day of the meeting commenced with a welcome speech from the principal of the 4th Lyceum of Katerini, Georgios Makris, and the offering of gifts by the visitors. After this, each team presented themselves, talking about their interests and their reasons for participating in the project. After a short break for refreshments and a game of volleyball, each team presented a short PPT about a past Olympiad and/or a famous sport personality from their country. The end of the activities was followed by lunch at a traditional Greek restaurant. In the afternoon the visitors had the chance to visit nearby beaches and explore the city.

On the second day of the LTT the students took part in a treasure hunt in the Municipal Garden of Katerini and an orienteering activity which they had to complete divided in multinational groups, using maps of the city. After a common lunch, participants were free to enjoy their afternoon in the city and by the beach.

On the third day of the LTT, participants visited the city of Thessaloniki. Here they were offered a guided tour of the “Castles” of Thessaloniki, the church of Agios Dimitrios, the Rotonda, the Palace Complex and Arch of Galerius and the Archeological Museum. This was followed by lunch at Zithos restaurant, opposite the White Tower and a stroll along the promenade.

The activities of the fourth day included a visit at the Information Centre of Olympus National Reserve and hiking along the trails of Mount Olympus. After lunch at one of the best restaurants in Litohoro, at the foot of Mount Olympus, participants were offered a guided tour of the Museum and Archeological site of Dion.
The activities of the last day took place at the computer lab of the 4th Lyceum of Katerini, where students formed six multinational groups and were assigned the task of creating a short dictionary of words related to a specific sport of their choice. The words would have to be in English and in each of the languages of the six partner countries. After a short break for a game of volleyball, the students completed their tasks. The end of the activities was followed by the presentation of certificates of participation to each team by the school principal, Georgios Makris.  A farewell dinner, accompanied by Greek music and dancing, at a traditional Greek restaurant marked the end of the meeting.
All in all, the hosting of this Erasmus+ Learning, Teaching, Training Activity was a unique and fascinating experience for all the members of the Erasmus+ 4th Lyceum of Katerini work group. Both for the teachers but especially for the students, who were engaged in all the activities and offered both their time and effort to entertain and help our guests despite their heavy schedule in view of their final exams, this meeting proved both challenging and extremely rewarding. Participants were able to appreciate each other’s culture, to engage in physical activities aimed at people of all levels of ability, enhance their social and communication skills, improve their fluency in English, which was the language of communication, and learn a few words from other European languages.