Our sixth and last short-term exchange of groups of pupils took place from 22 to 28 May 2022. It was great to welcome 23 visiting students and 14 teachers from partner schools. The local participants were over 200 students, teachers and families from Institut Vallbona d’Anoia who participated at some point in the activities held including the Erasmus group of 30 students who participated daily.
The meeting was focused on green issues, sustainability and cultural heritage. All the activities were presented through the lens of sustainability and environmental preservation and aimed to motivate and boost the participation of all participants. Local students were given the responsibility of preparing and leading the activities.
The week was implemented as follows:
Sunday 22 May - Arrival of the delegations in Igualada. Welcome by the Spanish Team with a short meeting to go over the agenda of the week and logistic details.
Monday 23 May - There was a short briefing and welcome at school by the school director Ms Pilar Rodríguez, and also a quick tour before leaving for Sitges. We spent the day in Sitges where a workwhop and walking tour till 13:00 about “The beach: a fragile ecosystem” Centre d'Estudis del Mar in Sitges (CEM) was held. The participants were shown the impact of tourism and property speculation on the natural environment and how it has affected fauna and flora. After lunch, there was a guided visit on modernism and cultural heritage in Sitges kindly given by CEM. From 16:30 to 19:30 there was a recording of scenes for the short film with the performance of all students (seamen scene) and free time. Late in the evening, the participants were returned to Vallbona and Igualada.
Tuesday 24 May - At school, the agenda of the week was revised. Spanish students presented Catalonia, Anoia and Vallbona d’Anoia. Local students accompanied the visiting delegations to the regular classrooms of the school and presented their countries and schools (1 country=2 teams, 1 team visited 2 classrooms). After these presentations and dialogue with students and teachers in Vallbona, ice-breaking activities and games were held in the playground. There were three groups of students and teachers doing the tour in Vallbona d'Anoia, the Cyanotypes workshop and preparing the exhibition of photography on green issues at the town hall, simultaneously. At 12:30 there was the recording for the short film with the participation of all students (Bandits 1 scene). At 16:30 there was the walking gymkhana in Igualada in international groups in order to know the cultural landmarks and history of the capital city of Anoia. It was so unlucky it poured down and we finished the activity at Museu de la Pell in Igualada completely soaked :-)
Wed 25 May - Participants were given a warm reception at the Town Hall in Vallbona d'Anoia by the Major, Ms Meritxell Baqué. The photography exhibition on Green Issues in Europe was inaugurated. From 10:30-13:00 Teams showed their videos on green issues, held Speed debates led by Spanish students and also did a dancing performance on green issues. After lunch, there is a trip to Montserrat mountain range (natural park, protected fauna and flora, sports/religious/cultural landmark in Catalonia) After a Mini tour in the monastery area, we took a funicular to Saint Joan top, did some trekking, and recorded some scenes for the short film (Bandits 2 scene). We returned to Igualada at 22:00 for dinner at Bar Cotxeres while seeing a breathtaking rehearsal of Moixiganguers (human castle building)
Thursday 26 May - Trip to Capellades. Participants visit NEAN - Neanderthal excavation site “Abric Romaní” where they make a trip to the origins of human beings and realise how our respect and reliance on natural resources for survival as a species has changed. At 11:00 Tour in La Pobla de Claramunt town centre and hiking up the castle. Guided visit in the mediaeval Castle of La Pobla. On the way down, participants did their own palette of nature to notice the rich flora of the
Friday 27 May - Bus trip to Barcelona to know the cultural heritage of the capital of Catalonia. There was an evaluation of the meeting and an open turn of words in the bus. We stopped at Montjuic to get a panoramic view of the city and its landmarks. We walked around Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia expiatory temple. At midday, we had a guided visit at Park Güell, another modernist jewel of Barcelona by Antoni Gaudí. After lunch, we had a walking tour in Barcelona led by Vallbona students. Finally, at 6 pm we met at the bus in Passeig Colom at the seafront for the farewell of all the teams.
Saturday 28 May - The European teams departed from Barcelona after spending their last hours in the capital city enjoying Barcelona’s rich cultural heritage. It was a very fruitful and joyful exchange of groups of pupils to be remembered forever.
