April 1–7, 2025 | Hosted by Johann Comenius School
As the second mobility of the eTwinning project Unmasking Bias: Youth Against Racism and Discrimination, eight students from Paralimni Lyceum travelled to Emmerthal, Germany, for a week filled with intercultural learning, creative expression, and critical reflection. Funded through our school’s Erasmus+ accreditation, this mobility built on the strong collaboration initiated during the first meeting in Cyprus and continued the project’s mission to explore and challenge everyday bias.
Students stayed in Bad Pyrmont and participated in a full schedule of school-based workshops, thematic excursions, and collaborative activities with their German peers. Visits to Hamelin, Hannover, Hamburg, and the Deister forest enriched their understanding of culture, history, and diversity in contemporary Germany.
The mobility began with a warm reception at Johann Comenius School, where students introduced their countries and schools through presentations and participated in a friendly quiz on the region. This was followed by a tour of the school and a guided walk through Hamelin, famous for the Pied Piper legend.
Later that afternoon, students and teachers from both schools shared a common lunch at the oldest pancake house in Hamelin, where they explored an array of traditional savoury and sweet pancake combinations. It was a unique culinary experience that combined local tradition with intercultural bonding.
The week’s main task was the creation of short awareness videos addressing bias and discrimination, following the AIDA model (Attention – Interest – Desire – Action). Working in mixed teams, students focused on how stereotypes manifest in four everyday contexts:
Music
Film & Media
Workplace Stereotypes
Sports & Fair Play
Each team developed a storyboard, assigned roles (camera, script, acting, editing), and produced a final video that was screened at the end of the week. The process allowed students to practice media production while engaging deeply with issues of social justice and inclusion.
One of the most memorable activities was the intercultural cooking workshop, where students learned to prepare traditional German soups in small international groups. While the activity focused on collaboration and fun, it also sparked meaningful reflection on food-related prejudice and how unfamiliar tastes or traditions can often be misunderstood.
Some students admitted initial hesitation about trying unknown flavours but later described the experience as eye-opening. This culinary journey became a metaphor for cultural acceptance — showing that what is unfamiliar can become enjoyable through openness and effort.
A profound turning point in the mobility was the visit to Bückeberg, a historical site once used for Nazi propaganda rallies. Students learned how public spaces can be manipulated to construct ideology and how architecture, symbolism, and repetition were used to shape perceptions of power and identity.
After the tour, students participated in a guided discussion on the legacy of racism, historical manipulation, and the consequences of exclusion. This activity encouraged a deeper awareness of how racism has operated in the past — and why challenging it remains urgent today. The session provided a powerful context for understanding the relevance of the Unmasking Bias project in modern society.
Before the mobility, students from both countries submitted original logo designs on the eTwinning platform. During the mobility, all participants voted for their favourite logo, and the winning design became the official visual identity of the project.
This democratic process reinforced the importance of student agency and creative ownership, giving learners the chance to shape how the project is represented publicly.
On the final school day, students joined the annual school football tournament, participating in mixed-nationality teams. The game was framed as a learning opportunity about fair play, inclusion, and respect, demonstrating how sport can unite people and model the values of equality and cooperation.
The day concluded with group presentations of the video projects, an open discussion, a certificate ceremony, and a surprise birthday celebration — closing the school-based part of the programme on a high note.
Over the weekend, students visited:
Hannover, where they compared urban infrastructure and civic life between Germany and Cyprus
Hamburg, a diverse, multicultural city where they reflected on migration, tolerance, and global citizenship
These visits gave students the chance to connect academic learning with real-world environments, fostering a broader sense of European identity and belonging.
The Germany mobility offered students a multi-layered educational experience rooted in creativity, reflection, and human connection. By participating in the AIDA video project, cooking activities, historical site visits, and intercultural collaboration, they developed:
Media literacy and digital creativity
Empathy and critical historical awareness
Communication, teamwork, and peer feedback skills
Confidence in speaking up against discrimination
An appreciation for diversity — in food, thought, and lifestyle
This mobility proved that bias is not unchangeable — it can be unmasked, questioned, and replaced with understanding. Through Erasmus+ and eTwinning, our students were not only learners but also creators of a more inclusive, compassionate future.