Mobility to Istanbul, Türkiye
April 2025

Monday 28th April 2025

We had the welcome ceremony at the Turkish school in the morning, the Bayrampaşa Tuna Anadolu Lisesi. The school principal welcomed the participants. The Turkish students made a comprehensive presentation of the particular meeting programme.

Then, we went to the Mehmet Akif Ersoy Cultural Center and used its facilities for our project work. There, we implemented the project activity "The Race Card," in which students created posters outlining their ideas for issues hindering peace promotion and ways to address them. 

At noon, the Turkish families offered us a traditional Turkish lunch with home-made delicacies and gave us the chance to experience the exquisite Turkish cuisine. 

We concluded the first day with a teacher meeting addressing project management issues. 

Tuesday 29th April 2025

In the morning, teachers and students met at the Mehmet Akif Ersoy Cultural Center.  At its facilities, we organised the project activity "Fear Bubble" with the participants, one by one, sharing their worst fear and receiving advice from the others on how to overcome it.  Also, we conducted the project activity “Circles of Influence” to raise students’ awareness of people with different backgrounds, perspectives, and ways of life. This activity involved students in international groups, noting stereotypical prejudices about people from the five countries participating in the project. Then, in plenary, we discussed these prejudices and argued about whether they are valid or not.

At noon, we enjoyed traditional Turkish delights, and then we organised a dance lesson to share cultural perspectives.  Each partner "taught" traditional dances of their country, and we enjoyed ourselves dancing together!  

Wednesday 30 April 2025

This was an educational excursion day. We went to the historical centre of Istanbul. We started at the Topkapi Palace, where we immersed ourselves in the era of the Ottoman Empire. Then, we went to the Sultanahmet Square, where we visited the Aya Sofya and the Blue Mosque.

Afterwards, we were welcomed at the local department of Education. There, we were greeted by the local administrative staff and were offered lunch. 

Thursday 31st April 2025

This was another educational excursion day, during which we had the chance to explore Turkish culture. First, we went to the Dolmabahce Palace, the impressive 19th-century imperial palace. Then we enjoyed a boat tour along the Bosphorus to see Istanbul from the water. Then, we had free time to explore the Galata tower and shop with the locals in the  Grand Bazaar and the spice market. 

Friday 1st May 2025

Although May 1st is Labor Day and typically a day off, we met at the Turkish school. No lessons were planned for that day; however, the Turkish team greeted us with a special surprise. A group of Turkish students, under the guidance of the music teacher, performed traditional Turkish songs for us and explained the extraordinary instruments they used, such as the oud and the tanbur. 

Afterwards, we organized the project activity "Everyday Superheroes" as mini-theatrical plays, with students directing and performing their ideas on everyday challenges they may encounter and the importance of allies in dealing with them. 

Also, we did the  “Definitions of Leadership” activity, where participants explored their ideas of good leadership. They had the opportunity to identify qualities of a good leader and learn from one another’s personal definitions and insights.

Finally, participants engaged in a discussion on “Why do we need human rights legislation to protect vulnerable people?” 

The meeting concluded with a farewell ceremony, during which we received our certificates of participation, evaluated the meeting, and expressed our gratitude to the Turkish team for their exceptional organization.