Second Mobility - Poland

​The beginning of October will go down in history at Primary School No. 3 in Ustka - from 7 to 11 October we hosted our partners from the Erasmus programme ‘WATER SAVIOURS’. Guests came to us from Turkey and Finland. Pupils and teachers were met from the doorstep with genuine Polish hospitality and the enthusiasm of our students. The first day was dedicated to our school - the visitors could not only observe lessons taught in different ways and with different methods, but also actively participate in them. The Turkish group particularly enjoyed the robotics lesson, but everyone also had the opportunity to observe lessons in coding, chemistry, writing using a variety of interactive techniques and active learning in the younger classes. A separate highlight was taking part in the art workshop ‘The art of recycling’. The whole event was topped off with artistic performances by our studentsand the ‘Pomorzacy’ folk group, who revealed some of their secrets and presented beautiful dances and Kashubian customs and costumes. The guests also had the unique opportunity to taste Polish cuisine, including bigos, potato pancakes, pierogi and a myriad of cakes - there was no end to the delight. Afterwards, the students dispersed to the families who had taken them in for the duration of their stay in our town. It was not a long rest, however, as one more attraction awaited them - an international disco to the rhythm of hits from all over the world. The party was fantastic and the youngsters were happy but tired. The following days were already closely linked to the project's main theme, "Water Saviours". On Tuesday, we visited the Centre for Ecological Education in Słupsk under the slogan ‘Słupia - the river of knowledge’. In the interactive museum, our guests learnt about the beauty and uniqueness of the fauna and flora of our river, as well as about the dangers and threats that are associated, among other things, with human activity. However, in order not to treat ecology purely theoretically, the pupils also built bird feeders. The culmination of the day was a visit to the Charlotta Valley, where we admired the funny, strange and dignified species of animals, as well as the Finnish and Turkish pupils being able to feel and see the beautiful golden Polish autumn first-hand. Wednesday and Thursday were days when we turned to the sea. On the first day, guests and hosts alike had the opportunity to visit Słowiński National Park and see the unique moving dunes - all thanks to activities at the museum in Czołpino, a visit to the lighthouse, observation of Lake Łebsko and an eight-kilometre walk. This natural survival activity will be remembered for a long time, because apart from unforgettable impressions, it provided our guests with a solid portion of fatigue, and after returning they dreamt of a warm and comfortable bed. On the second day, however, attractions of a different kind awaited us - this time the destination was the Marine Station of the Institute of Oceanography at the University of Gdańsk. The young people attended a lecture on Baltic mammals and (which was an even bigger attraction) a demonstration of seal feeding and skills - some were even splashed. The afternoon was in Gdańsk, where the students were hosted by the museum of Baltic gold - amber. They had the opportunity to see its various, sometimes unexpected colours - from milky white to black. Finally, everyone was enchanted by the Gdansk Old Town, leaving an indelible and wonderful impression. The last day was spent in Ustka, where, thanks to the kindness of Ustka's waterworks, the young people had the opportunity to trace the journey of water from the source to the final product, which ends up on every table in Ustka. They were able to see for themselves just how high the quality of the water is - and they all said that we have something to be proud of. The rest of the day was spent together with the host families. However, the time passed far too quickly and inevitably it was time to say goodbye, and although more than one drop of tears fell, we will continue our cooperation with our Finnish and Turkish friends.