Embedded Files
JOURNEY TO LITHUANIA’S (DIGITAL) LAND
During the first meeting in Lithuania, we expanded our knowledge of internet safety through various workshops and presentations. We learned how to protect personal data, identify malware, and avoid scams—all crucial skills, especially for young people who spend a significant amount of time online.
The project will continue with exchange weeks in Norway and Estonia in the first half of 2025.The following is a travel diary recounting the trip that took place from the 25th to the 30th of November.
DAY 1- BUSES, BUSES, BUSES
DAY 1- BUSES, BUSES, BUSES
Our journey began on Sunday morning, November 25, at Tallinn Bus Station. After a long and exhausting 9-hour bus ride through the Baltics, our travel group finally arrived in Vilnius, Lithuania. From there, a smaller school bus took us about 20 kilometers further to the town of Nemenčinė, where we met the students and families who would be hosting us.
Nemenčinė
Although we traveled to Lithuania, we mostly encountered Polish-speaking people. Nemenčinė is home to one of the largest Polish communities in Lithuania, and our partner school, Nemencines Konstanto Parcevskio Gimnazija, primarily serves Polish students. In daily life, both in town and at school, Polish is the main language of communication.
DAY 2 - GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER!
The day started with a wave of emotions. On early Monday morning, there was a plane crash in Vilnius, which gave our group quite a scare. However, we didn’t hear much about the accident from the locals during our trip, and soon enough, it faded from our minds. Besides, the warm welcome at our partner school filled us with plenty of positive feelings instead.
As we stepped through the school doors, girls dressed in traditional Lithuanian folk costumes greeted us with a tray of various Lithuanian snacks. Older students gave us a guided tour of the school building, and we played several icebreaker games with all the students participating in the project.
Next, each school introduced themselves, and we analyzed the responses to digital security surveys conducted in all three countries. But the topic of digital security didn’t end there. We divided into national teams and tested our knowledge in a themed "Jeopardy" quiz. Although all teams had a solid understanding of IT security, the Estonian team ended up winning based on the final score.
In the last exciting workshop, we got hands-on experience building and programming LEGO robots, which was both fun and educational.
DAY 3 - SVEIKI, NIGHT WORK, AND TUSEN TAKK
Tuesday’s activities kicked off with language lessons. We completed a Lithuanian language introduction course and also taught others a few Estonian expressions, including the word öötöö (night work). From the short Norwegian lesson, we remembered the phrase tusen takk, which means "a thousand thanks."
After an enriching cultural language session, we moved on to a workshop where we created various digital-themed games and watched pre-recorded project films titled Alice in Digiland.
In the next workshop, we unleashed our creativity. Each of us designed a unique logo for the project and drew it onto T-shirts, which were later displayed in the school’s conference room as part of an exhibition.
Later, we experienced the fascinating possibilities of modern technology firsthand. A workshop was conducted by local experts who use virtual reality headsets to help children and young people with anxiety disorders. These “magic glasses” took many of us on an immersive journey into the digital world.
The school day ended with an educational digital-themed lesson for local 8th-grade students, during which we also played the games we had prepared earlier.
DAY 4 - TOURISTS IN THE CAPITAL
Wednesday was all about exploring Vilnius. Our tour of Lithuania’s capital began with visits to its most famous landmarks. We saw Vilnius Cathedral, Gediminas’ Tower, and several other historical sites. Beyond just playing the role of tourists, we also broadened our knowledge by attending a lecture by a professor from Vilnius University on how to recognize and combat misinformation. Our next stop was closely linked to media and information dissemination—we visited the TVP Wilno news studio. While exploring the premises, we got a closer look at the behind-the-scenes work of Lithuanian-Polish television. TVP Wilno is a Polish-funded channel in Lithuania that primarily broadcasts Polish content.
Our adventures in Vilnius continued with interactive media-related challenges in teams, and, of course, some souvenir shopping.
DAY 5 - NEMENČINĖ AND THE GREEN BEAR
The day started energetically with ball games in the school gym. We also took turns presenting digital-themed topics to local students.
However, the main event of Thursday was a tour of the town of Nemenčinė. Our hosts introduced us to the town’s history and its key landmarks.
The day continued with a visit to Nemenčinė’s small ethnographic museum. We explored historical artifacts, including vintage technology, furniture, and other objects collected from the surrounding region. Additionally, we worked in teams to complete interactive tasks related to the media exhibits.
To our surprise, we found a connection to the Estonian language in the most unexpected place—a local artist’s name! In an art gallery, we saw a painting signed by "Roheline Bear" (Green Bear). Curious about this Estonian word in the name, we asked the artist, who happened to work at the museum. He confirmed that he was fully aware that roheline means "green" in Estonian.
What a surprise! :)
DAY 6 - LET´S DANCE!
On the final day, we once again played various ball games in the sports hall. Later, we challenged each other in board games.
Since it was the last day of the project week, we wrapped things up with a small farewell party. Each country’s team had brought some traditional sweets from home to share with everyone. Our Estonian team offered Kalev candies and a variety of cookies from Hiiu Köök ja Pagar.
To burn off the extra calories from the treats, we danced folk dances from all three countries. Our group introduced the others to Kõpumeeste polka, a dance from Hiiumaa. However, the most memorable performance was by the Norwegian teacher, who demonstrated an impressive dance trick—kicking a hat off the top of a high broomstick! We all got to try it, and our very own Ralph turned out to be the best at it.
DAY 7 - HOME, SWEET HOME!
The journey home started brutally early, with alarms ringing at 4 AM. After some final hugs and goodbyes with our hosts, we boarded the familiar mustard-yellow school bus and headed to the Vilnius bus station. There, we waited—half-asleep—for our departure to Tallinn.
Another nine hours of bouncing through the three Baltic states, and we finally found ourselves back on Estonian soil.
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
Aside from the practical learning, we had the chance to meet many amazing people. We got to know students from Lithuania and Norway, who shared stories and experiences from their home countries.
Outside of official activities and workshops, we spent time together playing games, watching movies, and chatting. We also visited Vilnius multiple times, trying local dishes in restaurants (a lot of different potato dishes and also kvass), going to the cinema, playing bowling, and exploring massive shopping centers—including a Maxima with four X’s!
One thing that will stay with us forever is the incredible friendliness and hospitality of the Lithuanian people. This trip wasn’t just fun—it also brought us valuable knowledge and new friendships.
The blog was written by Meribel Piil and Ralph Raymond Smith :)
day2_aliceindigiland.movPage updated
Report abuse