School life: Experiencing culture across Europe

Would you dare to stay with a family whose language you didn't speak?
(L-R) Noah Butterfield, Mrs Clements, Ella Whiteside-Smith, Leila Lang, Jessica White, Mrs Fahey, Ben Welch and Tom Leung in Porto(L-R) Noah Butterfield, Mrs Clements, Ella Whiteside-Smith, Leila Lang, Jessica White, Mrs Fahey, Ben Welch and Tom Leung in Porto
(L-R) Noah Butterfield, Mrs Clements, Ella Whiteside-Smith, Leila Lang, Jessica White, Mrs Fahey, Ben Welch and Tom Leung in Porto

That’s exactly what a group of Year 8 and 9 Ryburn students did in late September, visiting Lousada in northern Portugal, where they found a warm welcome. The trip was funded by the Erasmus+ programme and focussed on Happiness in Lifelong Learning.

One of the unique features of the project is the chance to form an international Children’s Parliament to debate issues, and students met the Mayor of Lousada to discuss these.

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They explored the romanesque monuments along the Rota do Romanico and visiting to the city of Porto, and even had a swim in the Atlantic Ocean. They experienced lessons and learning in a Portuguese school and forged international friendships.

Year 9 student Ella Whiteside-Smith summed it up as a once in a lifetime experience!

She said: “The Erasmus+ programme gave us the chance to experience a different way of learning, and to discover so much about other countries and their culture.”

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