Hola Andalusia!

From March 23 to April 1, 2025, students from our school participated in an international exchange under the Erasmus+ program, visiting the IES Torredonjimeno high school in Andalusia. This stay was not only an opportunity for learning but also for gaining valuable cultural, linguistic, and social experiences.

Staying with host families provided students with a unique chance for daily contact with the Spanish language, as well as the opportunity to experience local customs and everyday life in a warm, homey atmosphere.

The partner school prepared a rich educational and cultural program. Students took part in STEAM workshops, attended classes at the Spanish school, and participated in sports activities, such as playing padel. They also engaged in a city game that allowed them to get to know Torredonjimeno in a fun and interactive way.

One of the highlights of the program was a visit to the “Carmen” olive oil manufactory, where students learned about the entire olive oil production process – from harvesting the olives to bottling the final product. They also found out how climate change is affecting crop yields and production quality, which helped them understand the scale of the issue and raised their ecological awareness. This part of the program served not only as an important environmental lesson but also as a practical extension of projects they had previously completed in Poland.

As part of the cultural program, students visited Jaén, where they attended a special flamenco show organized by the teachers and students of the Ramón Garay Music Conservatory. They also explored some of the region’s most important cities: they admired the Alhambra in Granada, were captivated by the majestic Mezquita in Córdoba, and visited the Picasso Museum and the Alcazaba fortress in Málaga. There was also time to relax – students enjoyed the beach, soaking up the sun and the atmosphere of the seaside city.

The trip allowed students to develop many key competencies – primarily linguistic skills through daily communication in Spanish, but also social and intercultural skills. They learned cooperation, openness, and tolerance, and the direct contact with another culture helped them better understand the diversity of Europe.

This trip was particularly meaningful because all participants are Spanish language learners. The opportunity to use the language daily in real-life situations – talking with peers, host families, and during shared activities – gave their learning a whole new, deeply personal dimension. Spanish ceased to be just a school subject – it became a tool for communication, relationship-building, and world discovery. The students realized that language is much more than grammar rules and vocabulary lists – it is about connecting with another person, their everyday life, emotions, and culture. And this trip was exactly that kind of connection – genuine, moving, and unforgettable.

We invite you to visit the project website, where you can find photos and daily reports from the trip, prepared by the students and teachers who accompanied them:

https://wakelet.com/wake/zv4nCWury11Zo_42ChBsc