Erasmus+ Exchange with Italy: A Week Full of Culture, Teamwork and new Friendships

The topic of the project was “Disasters Without Borders”, and the main goal was to learn more about climate change, natural disasters, and how to prepare for emergencies. The exchange included two parts: one week in Germany and one week in Italy. The first part of the exchange took place in Wuppertal from March 4 to March 9, 2025. On the first day, the Italian students arrived at our school, and we welcomed them with food, presentations, and games in the evening to get to know each other. During the week, we had several workshops. On March 5, we took part in a first aid training, where we learned how to help someone who is unconscious, using the steps “Check – Call – Press.” On the next day, we worked in groups on climate-related topics, other students worked on how prepared cities like Wuppertal and Sassuolo are for future disasters. Besides learning, we also had lots of fun. We went to Düsseldorf, visited the Rhine Tower, played laser tag, and had a treasure hunt. On Saturday, we visited the Technical Emergency Service (THW) and learned more about disaster response. In the evening, we showed a short film that our PR team created with photos and interviews from the week. Sadly, the Italians had to leave one day early because of a strike at the airport.

The second part of the exchange took place in Sassuolo, Italy, from May 8 to May 14, 2025.  The program in Italy was even more international because students from Austria, Finland, and the Netherlands were also there. We worked in mixed groups during workshops and discussed how to deal with different disaster scenarios,( for example a heatwave with a power blackout. We thought about what cities can do before, during, and after such a crisis. One idea was to build cooling centers in schools or libraries and improve the energy systems.) On May 10, we had a sports day at school and in the afternoon we visited the city of Modena. The following day was a family day and many of us went to the beach together. On May 12, we had a great day trip to Verona and Sirmione. We had a guided tour, some free time for shopping and sightseeing, and enjoyed the view of Lake Garda. On the last day, we had a city treasure hunt and a final Erasmus party in the evening, where we danced, sang, and shared memories.

Through this project, we learned a lot – not only about disasters and climate change, but also about other cultures and lifestyles. We also learned how important good communication is – especially when something doesn’t go as planned. In the end, most of us became good friends with our exchange partners and stayed in contact even after the trip. We can truly say that Erasmus+ was a great experience for all of us. It helped us understand how similar and different we all are – and that we can work together as Europeans. We highly recommend taking part in this program and would definitely do it again.

Text: Christina Mitsios & Fotos: Erasmus AG