Niehler high school students discover Poland: adventure and friendships!

Niehler high school students discover Poland: adventure and friendships!

The students of the Erich Kästner-Gymnasium had packed their suitcases and went on an exciting trip to Poland. A total of 15 young women traveled to Wroclaw (Wrocław) by train, where they started their week full of adventure. This trip was not just a trip, but a lively experience that came from a German-Polish teacher exchange, and the tour group agreed: Poland has much more to offer than you think at first glance. "It is a beautiful, high -contrast and undervalued travel destination," said the unanimous opinion of the participants. Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger reports on the busy atmosphere and friendship, which was encouraged by the international encounter.

After exploring Breslau, we continued to the youth meeting facility in Kreisau (Krzyżowa). Here the 15 high school students with 15 young people from a school near Gdansk (Gdańsk) came together. The historical importance of this place as the meeting point of the "Kreisauer Kreis" during the Second World War gave the encounter a special note. A varied program was on the plan: workshops in English, game evenings, campfires and sporting activities created a good atmosphere. The volleyball match against the Polish partner school, which the Cologne teams lost, will certainly be remembered, but won with a smile as a lesson in fair play and team spirit.

The meaning of the exchange

The German-Polish Youth Work (DPJW) plays a key role in promoting such encounters. The DPJW has been committed to cooperation and exchange of young people from Germany and Poland for over 30 years. The aim is to develop empathy and friendships, to reduce prejudices and to create a better mutual understanding. exchange makes school emphasizes that the programs not only include students, but also teachers and institutions in the collaboration.

The students also took the opportunity to try the Polish language and learn some new words, which only promoted mutual communication. When looking back on the trip, teacher Michael Walessa-Walter was impressed by the digital class books and the class teacher principle in Poland, which clarified the quite different approach to education for the two countries.

on the way to the future

An important part of the exchange are also the planned return visits. In summer, the Polish friends want to come to Cologne and certainly have exciting news and experiences. This could be the beginning of a long -lasting friendship that combines not only the students, but also their schools and communities.

Another project of the DPJW, "we will get together", focuses on professional orientation for young people and offers opportunities for international experiences and internships in the neighboring country. For this purpose, numerous German and Polish educational institutions are already involved in active partnerships. Together in exchange informs about the various initiatives that aim to further promote intercultural exchange.

The experiences of the high school students from Cologne have once again shown how significant the exchange between Germany and Poland is. With every flight, every train journey and every joint experience, the bridges of communication and understanding between the young people of both countries grow.