Douzelage Association in Chojna
EU Projects
Keep on chasing
From March 23rd to March 31st, 2012, teachers and employees of the Secondary School Complex No. 1, together with members of the Douzelage Association in Chojna, took part in the "Keep on chasing" project under the "Youth in Action" program. It was carried out on the island of Gozo, in the archipelago Wysp MaltańskichThe project coordinator was Mr. Mark Causon from the Genista Research Foundation. Approximately 50 participants from Belgium, Italy, Romania, Malta, and, of course, Poland participated in the project. The project included the so-called "old EU members" as well as Poland, Romania, and Malta, which joined the European Union relatively recently. The project focused on youth policy. The main goal of the project was to encourage people to be active in their local communities and to find their place within the "big family" we call the European Union. It also compared our lives before joining the EU and observed the changes that had occurred several years after joining.
The project aimed to prepare participants for work with young people, and also to enable them to learn about the specifics of preparing EU projects and to gain knowledge about the possibilities of obtaining grants from European funds.
The project also aimed to establish intercultural dialogue, conveying and promoting ideas that would enable people to become active European citizens.
Project participants participated in many interesting workshops on topics such as "The Pros and Cons of EU Enlargement," "The Common European Union Policy," and "The Future Role of the European Citizen." Each participant shared their perspective on each of these topics, leading to many engaging discussions and the development of many interesting ideas that could be implemented in the future.
Another interesting workshop was on project writing methods, which allowed participants to learn the principles of preparing a successful application. The workshop concluded with each country attempting to write its own project. During the project, participants had the opportunity to meet many interesting people, including Mr. Chris Said, Malta's Minister of Justice, Dialogue, and Family; Mr. David Apap, Mayor of Gharb; and Mr. Mario Calleja, Mayor of Marsaskala (our partner city). Everyone was eager to discuss their work and spoke with fascination about Malta.
One of the highlights of the project was the opportunity for each participating country to showcase its culture, history, and cuisine. The "Polish Evening" was very popular. Participants presented an artistic performance, including a traditional "Polonaise" dance. A presentation about Chojna was also presented, but the most popular attraction was the refreshments prepared. Participants also had the opportunity to visit several beautiful sites, such as the Azur Window – a natural corridor off the island's coast through which seawater flows. It is one of Malta's most famous tourist attractions. We also visited picturesque Valletta – the capital of Malta; Victoria – the capital of Gozo; and Marsaskala.
The project was a wonderful experience; it broadened our horizons, showed us how much we were still capable of and how many opportunities lay ahead, thus strengthening our self-esteem. Most importantly, however, we established new contacts that may lead to future projects under the "Youth in Action" program.
