Aya worked at the National Maternity Hospital in back office and front office roles, while Gaja worked for Jennifer Rothwell Studio in all areas of communication, from using graphics software to creating printed materials. We interviewed them remotely and here is the story of their new adventure.
Let’s start with a simple question: how are you? How has this experience been? Gaja: Good morning, I’m doing great. This experience has been very helpful, especially in terms of getting myself organized and planning each day to go to work, but also to go out and go on excursions. Was it your first time participating in a European project? And traveling to another country? Aya: My experience in Ireland was peaceful. This wasn’t my first time participating in a European project. In fact, in September 2022, I spent three weeks in Malta doing an internship at a company.
Gaja: This isn’t my first time. I’ve been to Malta for a month, Lisbon, and Finland for two weeks.
Was it difficult to adapt to Irish rhythms and culture? Or did you feel at ease right away?
Aya: It wasn’t difficult to adapt to Irish culture… it’s similar to what you see in TV series such as “Normal People.” I spent most of my time in Ireland enjoying my adventures alone, discovering Dublin and its nature. Gaja:Irish culture is very similar to Italian culture, so I felt very comfortable and, above all, listened to and helped.
..the best moment? And the worst?
Gaja: The best moment was being able to meet so many people of different nationalities and becoming friends with them.
What was your typical day like?
Aya: My typical day during the first two months varied. For example, I would wake up very early at 5:30 a.m., have breakfast, take the bus, and start work at 8:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Around 5:00 p.m., I would return home, have dinner, and then enjoy my free time. During the last month, I would wake up a little later, around 6:30 a.m., start work around 9:00 a.m., and finish at 4:00 p.m. On weekends, I preferred to wake up slowly, take my time doing things, and go out to spend time outside.
Gaja: My typical day was to get up early, shower, get ready, and go to work, where I started at 9:00 a.m. and finished at 5:00 p.m. Then I would go home, have dinner, and go straight to bed… but between Friday and Saturday, I always organized myself to go on tours or go out with my new friends.
What advice would you give to a friend who is about to embark on the same mobility program?
Aya: One piece of advice I would give is to think carefully about it several times before participating in an experience like this, without listening to anyone else’s opinions, because it will be your experience, so if you don’t feel ready to go, don’t do it. I know very well that it is an enriching experience, but based on my own experience, I wouldn’t recommend it to people who prefer a bit of privacy, who like to be listened to, and who hate the cold, the rain, and, of course, working all the time and spending all their energy on work.
Gaja: Do it! Don’t wait, you don’t know how many beautiful things you will see.
A phrase/word in Irish
Aya: GO N – ÉIRÍ LEAT – may you be successful. Gaja: GRÀ=love
Is there anything you haven’t done/visited yet on your wish list?
Aya: Unfortunately, due to work and the weather, I’ve always put off touring the northern part of Ireland.
Gaja: The Guinness Storehouse was the only thing I missed.
Soundtrack for this experience? Recommend three songs!
Once again this year, Canossa Erasmus will participate in Eramsusdays with a live marathon involving Canossian schools and vocational training centers that have taken part in Erasmus+ mobility programs. Students, teachers, and staff will share their experiences with us firsthand! Not only that, but this year there will also be a second live broadcast with our European partners, with whom we collaborate every day to carry out our projects, on Friday, October 18!
You can follow us live on our youtubechannel, where we will share the entire Canossian network and all of you the Erasmus+ experiences and activities that have given us so many opportunities for discussion, learning, and training.
We will be broadcasting live on Wednesday, October 16, with the entire Canossian network from Trentino to Puglia, passing through Lombardy, Veneto, and Emilia Romagna, while on Friday, October 18, we will be broadcasting live with our European partners.
She left on May 31st, 2023, and will return to Italy in September after three intense months in the German capital. During her internship at HaloLabes, she is putting all the theory and practice she acquired at Centromoda Canossa,to good use, especially in relation to the world of upcycling, while also working hard to create her own brand.
We met her in a typical Berlin café near Checkpoint Charlie and chatted about this adventure in fashion and new discoveries.
1. How are you? How is this experience going?
I’m fine, thank you. I’m very tired, but satisfied with what I’m doing and, above all, inspired by the place and the people around me.
2. Was this your first time participating in a European project? And traveling to another country?
Yes, it was my first time, and also the first time I found myself alone in another country for such a long period of time.
3. Was it difficult to adapt to the pace and culture of Berlin? Or did you feel comfortable right away?
Actually, even though it’s been almost two months, sometimes I don’t realize I’m here in Berlin; the plane trip was so quick that I didn’t really feel the distance. As for adapting to the culture, I didn’t have any major difficulties. In fact, as far as food is concerned, if you’re vegan, this is paradise.
4.Was there a best moment? And what about the worst? There wasn’t one specific moment that was better than the others; there were many small, pleasant moments, like when I created that particular bag or that dress. While the worst moment is perhaps now, because I’m looking for work here in Berlin and in the meantime I’m working and creating things for my brand, which I might want to start but I don’t know if it’s the right time to do so. It’s not an easy period, you see. What’s more, there’s just over a month to go and I already have to go back.
5. What is a typical day like for you? Do you have a dress/creation that you made that turned out better than others or that you like more than others?
My daily routine isn’t very set in stone; every day is different and even my working hours vary greatly from day to day. Yes, as for the creations I’m proud of, there are these bags and shoes from the 2000s that I’ve modified through upcycling.
6.What advice would you give to a friend who is about to embark on the same mobility program as you?
Before leaving, don’t think too much about what might happen, because things often don’t turn out the way we imagine. Any anxieties you may have (if you have any) will be pointless, so take everything lightly and enjoy every moment. My advice is to face your fears while you’re here, trying to do everything you’ve always been afraid to do where you live (obviously, I’m referring to things that are possible, not exaggerated things).
7. A few words in German?
Guten Morgen. Honestly, I’ve never been a fan of German, but luckily here in Berlin lots of people speak English, so I’m focusing on that for now. I try to take things one step at a time without getting too anxious.
8. Is there anything you haven’t done/visited in Berlin yet that’s on your wish list?
I haven’t visited the tourist attractions because they’re not things I’m particularly interested in, but I think I should do so before I leave. One of the places I’d like to go is Tempelhofer Feld, but every time I either don’t have time or it’s too hot.
9. Soundtrack for this experience? Recommend three songs!
It’s a bit of a confusing time, so here are three songs that have nothing to do with each other or with Berlin, but which I’m listening to a lot at the moment:
Erasmus mobility continues throughout the spring, with not only students but also staff traveling!
From January to May, 21 ENAC teachers and staff members participated in incoming and outgoing mobility programs.
Specifically, Canossian schools and Canossian vocational training centers hosted 10 teachers from all over Europe. Two teachers arrived from the Balearic Islands and visited the vocational training centers in Bagnolo Mella, Brescia, and Magenta. Four Finnish teachers and a coordinator visited the Canossa Campus and the Canossian Institute in Treviso for job shadowing. Two teachers from Finland were guests at the SFP in Verona and visited some local companies, and finally, two teachers from Stockholm visited schools in Como and Brescia.
As for outgoing activities, two ENAC designers spent two days at a Dutch college focusing on European project planning and European priorities, two administrators from ENAC and ENAC Veneto took part in a week-long English course in Dublin, Ireland, and a teacher from ENAC Emilia Romagna visited a Dutch college. Two teachers from the CFP in Bagnolo went to Madrid for job shadowing at a vocational training center specializing in cooking and dining room service. Currently, a teacher from the Canossiano Institute in Pavia is at a school in Jaén, Spain, while another teacher from the Canossiano Institute in Rovato has just returned from Enkhuizen in the Netherlands.
There have been many trips involving the Canossian network, and they will continue throughout the summer! You can follow us here to stay up to date on all the mobility initiatives currently underway.
Consensus Conference “Out of my mind Social and emotional learning in education and vocational training” 12 may 2023 – 10:30am – 4.30pm
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Brescia – AULA 3 Via della Garzetta, 48 25133 Brescia
Vocational education and training, like the education system in general, runs the risk of providing young people with a curriculum that prioritizes cognitive aspects, neglecting integral human formation, with “the three languages that a mature person must know how to speak: the language of the mind, the language of the heart, and the language of the hands (Pope Francis).”
While the roots of Western education (Paideia) were based on virtues, and the great educational charisms recommended training good citizens, for a long time schools lost sight of the richness of their tradition, educating “from the neck up.” In recent years, all international organizations have recommended providing young people with social-emotional skills, considered a compass for tomorrow (Learning Compass) and the foundation of any profession.
The event, the result of research carried out as part of an Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership, is designed to present a pedagogical, didactic, and organizational guideline on this specific mission of educational institutions to the scientific community and the community of practice for their approval.
To this end, the consensus conference will be divided into two parts:
in the morning, after providing an overview of international thinking on the subject, a Compendium of Good Practices and a Set of Guidelines will be presented; in the afternoon, participants will take part in thematic workshops to discuss in detail and validate the guidelines developed within the project
In March, the Milan CFP Canossa headquarters in Via Benaco welcomed five Estonian students studying administration at the Järvamaa Kutsehariduskeskus school.
Supported by third- and fourth-year students, they participated in IT lessons in English and carried out various tasks related to the creation of web pages and smartphone apps. They developed an Android smartphone app with App Inventor to manage restaurant reservations.
Here is the experience recounted by Prof. Alessandro Visigalli, IT teacher.
Once again this year, we have the pleasure of hosting five students from JKHK, with the now customary hybrid mobility formula: in February, we held a series of online lessons using Google Meet, during which we talked (among other things) about the tools the students would need to use once they arrived in Milan.
Since March 2, when they finally arrived in Italy, the students have been working on the development of a series of smartphone apps capable of quickly and accurately resolving certain situations in the daily life of the CFP, from the management of refresher courses for teachers to the management of the sandwich service offered by students in the meal preparation course.
During these weeks, Kairi, Andreas, Karl, Margo, and Johannes also participated as classroom tutors in computer science lessons for third-year Business Services Operator students. It was a wonderful experience, especially because we were able to combine the use of English with computer science and work organization skills during classroom training.
Once again, we were very impressed by the skills demonstrated by the Estonian students, so a heartfelt thank you also goes to the JKHK staff, and in particular to Marleen, the Erasmus project manager, for working again this year to make this mobility program a reality. We all hope that this collaboration will become even stronger in the future!
A second article dedicated to the apps created by the students will also be published in the coming days.
During these first few months of the year, there have been many mobility programs involving students and teachers in trips and courses in Europe, both outgoing and incoming.
Forty-two high school students participated. Two groups of students from the Barbara Melzi Institute in Legnano and the Matilde di Canossa Institute in Como visited Sineu, Spain, in the Balearic Islands. They were hosted by Spanish families to make the experience even more immersive. In the morning, they attended school, while in the afternoon they were involved in activities with their families and fellow students.
A group of students, also from Legnano, hosted a group of students from Norway from the Sandsli school in Bergen for a week, before setting off to discover the Norwegian town themselves, with workshops, study, and excursions to the Ulriken and Fløyen mountains. It was a cultural exchange marked by discoveries about the Northern European educational world and new friendships, days of study and sharing, such as dinners together. Finally, the third STEM class of the Canossiano Institute in Feltre is leaving for a week in Brittany, and their colleagues in Legnano will soon be hosting French students.
The expert Basque chef at VET centres in Brescia and Bagnolo Mella
Basque chef Borja Extebarría was a guest at CFP Canossa Brescia and Bagnolo Mella, where he held the first of two days of training for our cooking instructors. The course was entitled “Cocina Tradicional del Pais Vasco” (Traditional Cuisine of the Basque Country).
The chef brought traditional recipes from the Basque Country, starting with typical appetizers such as “La Gilda” (anchovy skewers, pickled peppers, and olives) and the highly anticipated “El Bilbainito” (quail eggs, shrimp, mayonnaise, parsley, and olives). His colleagues then prepared (and tasted, of course!) a second course, “Txangurro a la Donostiarra” (crab stuffed with brandy, onions, and breadcrumbs) and “Papel Vasco,” a Basque cake made with shortcrust pastry and custard.
The chef continued with other dishes, such as main courses based on salt cod cooked in three typical Basque sauces: “Bacalao al Pil-Pil” (salt cod in “Pil-Pil” sauce: an emulsion prepared with oil flavored with garlic, chili pepper, and salt cod jelly; the curious name derives from the sizzling sound made by the juices released from the fish when it is immersed in boiling oil, which turn into a gelatinous substance); “Bacalao en salsa verde” (hot sauce made with oil, parsley, garlic, and flour); “Bacalao Club Ranero” (pil-pil sauce with onions, zucchini, and green and red peppers). Another recipe featured squid in squid ink, “Txipirones en su tinta,” cooked with stewed red onions, fish stock, and squid ink.
The dessert, “Goxua,” was a “biscottata” cake made with biscuits, whipped cream, and custard, all decorated with caramelized sugar.
The refresher course aroused great interest among the practical teachers, who were satisfied with the recipes presented and the results obtained, and Basque chef Extebarría was pleasantly impressed by the participation of his colleagues in the kitchen, who actively engaged in preparing new recipes.
The chef hopes for future collaborations and exchanges with students and teachers at his restaurant Yandiola in the Biscay area.
Once again, the Erasmus+ project has borne fruit (good fruit, and this time Basque fruit)
A new goal has been achieved by the Erasmus 3H – Head, Heart, Hand project: the creation of a Compendium of good practices for social and emotional education in vocational education and training.
The last period has been very intense for the 3H partners, but also very fruitful. The first published result is a very interesting volume. Following the project partners’ training meeting in early February, dedicated to analyzing the “Compendium – Collection of Good Practices” in the field of social-emotional education, two versions of the volume were published, in Italian and English. Starting from the main objectives of Project 3H (i.e., developing the skills of teachers and trainers through the introduction of methodologies for managing student demotivation within the classroom group and a socio-emotional perspective in daily work with students), the partners worked to create a Compendium of Good Practices.
This volume was produced thanks to six training activities (Learning Teaching Training Activities, LTTA) organized among the partners. Four of these LTTA were international visits to vocational training institutes. The remaining two were online “Virtual Coffee Breaks.” The main objective of this work is to address the problem of educational ineffectiveness and early school leaving.
To do this, the team highlighted four “points of attack,” which are variously represented in the corpus of practices collected:
Reception/orientation: #1 Clinical Art, #5 Gamification and Digital Tools, #6Individual Learning Path, #7 Joint Tutoring and Flexibility, #9 Lego® Art, #10 Mediation Project, #22 Serious Game (Escape Room), #25 Walk Of Life, #26 Women Group.
Well-being and motivation: #21 The School, A House Of Well Being
Independent learning: #4 Ethazi, #5 Gamification and Digital Tools, #11Neets For Neets, #18 Renyo, #19Ruori assessment
Problem-based learning: in #3 Cultures in our classroom, #12 Pitstop, #14 Public events and products, #15 Rebound, #25 Walk of life, #16 Recipe book project
Each good practice has some main objectives that provide a description of what is meant by “social-emotional learning” and “social-emotional skills” in this Compendium. For example, the objectives of community building (European community, local community, school, class), teamwork skills, personal expression connected to personal harmony, awareness, and contact with oneself. Other goals are related to decision-making and personalization and developing students’ reflective skills.
Each objective is analyzed in depth in the Compendium, enabling readers to identify the most useful practices for achieving the objectives in their own vocational education and training centers and schools.
Ultimately, this document represents the first result of the strong collaboration and mutual contribution between the partners.
The first ENAC Emilia Romagna Vet Skills Competition in Palma de Mallorca
Maura Massari, business economics teacher, tells us about her experience.
And so we come to the end of a journey in which we played a leading role, both as organisers and participants: the first VET SKILLS COMPETITIONS held in Palma de Mallorca from 28 November to 2 December 2022. It all began in the spring of 2022, when our vocational education and training (VET) coordinator asked during a staff meeting if we would be interested in participating in/organising Skills Competitions for our Administrative and Secretarial Operator course. I, a teacher of accounting and office practices, and my colleague Sabrina, a computer science teacher, immediately agreed, and in no time at all, we found ourselves involved in organising an international project.
It is not just a matter of “preparing the children” by giving them the right skills, but also of thinking about the entire organisation of the event, from the topics covered to the location, the participating teams, the methods of administration, the scoring… in short, everything involved in planning such an important and new event. The challenge has now been accepted, and every spare moment is spent looking for ideas and activities that might be useful, reading articles and doing research. Through Enac Nazionale, in the person of Simona Puggioni, who oversaw the entire project, we were put in touch with Marie Angels from the San Josep Obrer Diocesan College in Palma de Mallorca and Anne Ploeg from Drenthe College in Assen in the Netherlands. Together with our Erasmus project coordinator, Emanuele B., we began to lay the foundations for the event.
The many online connections and shared folders in Drive allowed us to divide up the tasks, keep an eye on the progress of the work, think about team-building activities, and organise a connection with the classes that would remain at school, so that everyone could participate and contribute in some way.
With anxiety growing as the departure date approached, we arrived at Bergamo Orio al Serio airport on the fateful day of 27 November 2022: we had six students, not seven (one girl was not feeling well and did not travel), but it didn’t matter, we would make it work anyway! We boarded the plane: four students had never flown before, so the excitement was palpable… but this too was part of the experience, part of the indelible memories that would remain in their minds.
The next day we meet our opponents (the Spanish team and the Dutch team), but they are not opponents, they are people to work with, to produce something with, to communicate with, and here lies the problem: we have to speak in English! Help! I can’t do it… I don’t know how to say it! We look at each other fearfully, then slowly begin to breathe more calmly and in no time we create a WhatsApp group with our new friends… it’s done! Now we can have fun with them too!
The days pass, fantastic even if a little tiring. Some of the girls take turns feeling unwell, Rebecca has a fever for three days, but despite the absences, we carry on with our task, we do what is required of us, we even manage to speak more and more in English and with less fear, it’s a success!
But who won? In the end, communication, mutual assistance, collaboration, English and professionalism prevailed!
The students produced catalogues, flyers, presentations, appointment forms, invoices, transport documents, sales reports and graphs. They answered questions about the European Union, but above all, they shared their skills and knowledge to achieve the result.
And what did I learn as a teacher? What will I take away from this experience? Certainly, excellent collaborative relationships with other teachers, which will not end with the competition but will continue in the near future. Certainly, many ideas for improving teaching and also a refresher in English, which I studied at school many years ago and never used again.
