THIRD STUDENTS EXCHANGE

Probishtip, a small picturesque town in the northeast of the Republic of N. Macedonia was the host of the third students mobility that included four students and two teachers from each partner school. The mobility took place in the course of four days from the ninth to the twelfth of October of 2023. The topic of the Macedonian mobility was called Environmental Education for Inclusion. Day one: there was a teacher meeting at the hotel in the morning, to greet each other and to agree on the given agenda after which followed a nice walk to the school. The guests, both teachers and students were met from the host school representatives and the principal and were warmly greetedand welcomed. After the school tour that our partners had a chance to look around the school grounds and the surrounding area, there was a video presentation by each partner on the topic of local flora and fauna of each participating country. After lunch break, we visited the historic town of Kratovo and our guests admired the traditional architecture of an old Macedonian town with its old bridges and towers that were built during the Otoman Empire. We also had a chance to visit the Stone Dolls Open Air Museum in a near by village – a true natural wonder.

Day two: exploring the beauty of the capital city Skopje. We started the day early as it takes a little longer to arrive to the Matka canyon – a natural wonder that is a little away from Skopje. Students and teachers could choose between undertaking a hike upon the hiking trail that winds its way through the canyon’s rugged terrain or take a leisurely cruise aboard a small boat along the crystal- clear waters of Matka lake that is surrounded but the cliffs and hidden caves. The afternoon hours were filled with exploring the center of the capital city – the Kale Fortress, a historic landmark that overlooks the city, the Old Bazaar that dates from the Otomas where one could find anything from handcrafted souvenirs to a variety of spices, the Macedonian Square where the iconic statue of Alexander the Great takes center stage to the Mother Teresa House, a museum dedicated to the beloved humanitarian who was born in Skopje.

Day three: kicked off with a walking exercise to the near by location called ‘Krst’ where we did two activities related to our topic of environment and outdoor education. Students planted flowers and did a workshop of the benefit of planting trees and flowers. After a little rest, we visited the historic Lesnovo Monastery that dates back from the 11 th century. However, it was not all sightseeing as students and teachers took part in tracking and cave exploration that date back centuries ago.

Day four: early morning was dedicated to getting to know our little town and in the afternoon hours students and teachers did various courses, quizzes and workshops on environment and climate change and how to protect the environment. Each team presented the poster they did on the topics. At the end we had a certificates ceremony and we said our goodbyes with a heavy heart and lots of tears.