Meeting of CCPA, Erasmus+ project partners in Turkey
From April 14 to 20, 2024, a group of nine students from our school, together with teachers, took part in a trip to Konya, located in the central part of Turkey, to expand their knowledge together with students from Romania, Hungary and Turkey. the topic of career counseling. The meeting of partners took place as part of the project „Career Counseling Practical Approach – Practical approach to career counseling” from the Erasmus+ program. On Sunday, April 14, at 6:10 a.m., we showed up at the meeting to go to Berlin. From Berlin, with a change in Istanbul, we reached Konya.
We started Monday with breakfast at the hotel. Then, at 9:30 we went to the conference room to start classes. We were welcomed by Emrah, a project participant from Turkey, who presented the plan for the coming week and the goals of our meeting. Our first activity was Energizer – a game that involved dancing to music until it stopped, then we stood in front of the selected person to learn their name and date of birth. The aim was to meet project participants from other countries. Then, working in groups consisting of representatives of a given country, we made posters about our expectations regarding the trip. On the first day, we also gave presentations about partner institutions.
Then, in international groups, we competed in a city game. The city game consisted of searching for places based on descriptions and taking photos, which allowed them to move to the next location. The game allowed us to learn about the architecture of Konya and integrate with project participants from other countries. After the game, there was a short summary and the winners were selected. They received prizes in the form of Turkish sweets.
On Tuesday, at 9:00, we went to the school attended by students, project members from Turkey. First, we were given a presentation about the school, and then we took part in karaoke, in which each country presented one of the most popular songs of that nationality. After these classes, we were shown around the school and learned about the way of teaching in Turkey. We also had the opportunity to participate in a lesson in the subject of our choice. After lunch in the school canteen, we observed the process of creating traditional paintings painted on water. We could also try our hand at archery and wood carving. After an exhausting but satisfying day, we went to the hotel. After resting, it was time for dinner and tasting more delicacies of Turkish cuisine. On Wednesday, April 17, from 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., we had joint classes on professional careers. That day we conducted Energizer and coordinated group work on the topic: „Mapping career paths”. After the classes, we all went for lunch together, where we once again had the opportunity to try traditional Turkish dishes.
On Thursday, April 18, early in the morning, at 6:00 a.m., together with other groups, we went on a trip to Cappadocia, a historical land in central Turkey, in the central part of Antalya, known primarily for its characteristic tuff forms that create a „moon” landscape and from houses and churches carved out of these volcanic rocks. The trip was organized to expose students to the diverse career options in the tourism and cultural heritage sectors, using Cappadocia as a case study. After a long journey, we reached the first location, which were fossils resembling mushrooms, the so-called „Stone Mushrooms”.
Then we visited a place where porcelain is made by hand. A representative of our group had the opportunity to try this art himself. After buying souvenirs, we went to another beautiful place, which was the underground city. We learned the history of this place and learned many interesting facts about the life of the local people. The next stop on our trip was the so-called Valley of Love. In addition to beautiful views, we could also admire animals, including: camels and ponies and taste fresh fruit juices. Then we went to a jewelry store, where we learned about its history and how jewelry is made. The last point of the program was a traditional Turkish dinner, after which we went back to Konya. On Friday, April 19, our last joint activities took place, during which our group had to create a poster summarizing the entire trip. Also on that day, a group of teachers from Slovenia conducted exercises aimed at preparing us for a job interview in the future.
After our last lunch together, we had free time, so we decided to go shopping. At 6 p.m., we all went to dinner where the certificates were presented. After dinner, we went to a traditional Turkish religious ceremony, which consisted of a dance by the order of dervishes accompanied by music. It is a Muslim order founded in the 13th century in Turkey. The inspiration for the creation of the order was the mystical poetry of Rumi, who died in the 13th century in Konya. A characteristic feature of the participants of this order is meditation in motion, in the form of a series of „dance” figures, the most spectacular of which is the ability to spin quickly. After a great performance, we said goodbye to the organizers and our foreign colleagues and went to the hotel. On Saturday, April 20, at 6:00 we went to the airport. After an hour’s flight to Istanbul, we changed to a plane heading to Berlin, and then we returned to Chojna by bus. At the meeting in Turkey, we met many wonderful people, expanded our knowledge about making a conscious choice of profession, and delved into Turkish culture, customs and cuisine.
Martyna Szczepankiewicz, Amelia Przybylska – uczennice 3d LO