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Sustainable Cities Ein bilaterales Erasmus+ Projekt zwischen dem gymnasium Riedberg in Frankfurt am main und dem Thorbecke voortgezet onderwijs in rotterdam

Hallo en welkom in Rotterdam! Hallo und herzlich Willkommen in Frankfurt!

Im Schuljahr 2021/2022 war es endlich soweit, ein neuer Schüleraustausch Frankfurt und Rotterdam zum Motto “Sustainable Cities” wurde ins Leben gerufen, gefördert von der Europäischen Union als Erasmus+ Projekt.

Im Juni 2022 besuchten uns unsere niederländischen Gäste am Gymnasium Riedberg und wir hatten die Chance, uns über nachhaltige Stadtentwicklung auszutauschen und Frankfurt zu entdecken. Im Oktober 2022 war es dann endlich soweit, wir reisten nach Rotterdam und besuchten die Schule Thorbecke voortgezet onderwijs. Wir hatten die Möglichkeit uns über die niederländischen Ansätze und Projekte im Bereich Nachhaltigkeit zu informieren und die Stadt Rotterdam zu erkunden. Es war eine unvergessliche Erfahrung, die uns gezeigt hat, wie wichtig nachhaltiges Handeln jedes Einzelnen für die Zukunft ist. Im folgenden werden Impressionen aus der Woche in Rotterdam in Form von Tagebucheinträgen, der Schüler*innen beschrieben.

Monday, 17th October, Madhav & Lucas & Carolina

On Monday we left Frankfurt with the ICE, which uses climate neutral electricity to power it. Then we used the Dutch equivalent of the ICE.

We arrived in Rotterdam at 13:50 and reunited with our exchange students and later met their nice families. After we were welcomed by the Dutch students, we walked around the Rotterdam city center. We were given the task to scout out six well known sights near the central station. We had fun meeting our exchange students again and seeing famous sights. We also ate some typical Dutch food.

Afterwards everyone went home to meet their host families and spent some time individually with their partner.

Tuesday, 18th October ⇒ Saanvi & Divya

Tuesday morning, we got to know the school system of the Netherlands. We went to different lessons along with our siblings. Although our siblings are the same age as us, we noticed that they were already split in courses and the lessons weren’t very interactive like ours are.

In the afternoon we went to visit the floating office of an Organization named “clear rivers’’ which makes litter traps and exports them to different countries. The founder of the organization gave us a little tour of his office and the floating garden which is right next to it. He even explained how the litter traps work and how the litter is categorized to then be recycled. Afterwards we also collected trash which was nearby and separated it into different categories: cans, paper, soft and hard plastic. It made us realize how much trash we really produce and how it harms the environment.

Wednesday, 19th October, Dan & Luis & Lia

On Wednesday the 19th of October we had a lot to explore and to learn. Early in the morning, most of us went with our host students towards Delshafen, a district of Rotterdam. There we visited the "Future house" and even got a very interesting tour. Many new ideas about sustainable living and using energy in cities more efficiently were presented.

But the highlight was definitely the workshop that created something new out of old fire hoses. Our own creativity was challenged when we made our own keychains out of the material.

Afterwards we could independently explore the city. Our hosts had the opportunity to introduce us to the Dutch culture and show us their hometown and the focus was put on the sustainable part. For example, many of us went shopping in secondhand stores or explored the unpacked stores.

Thursday, 20th October, Jette & Luisa & Pauliine

On Thursday, the 20th of October, we went to the harbor of Rotterdam. When we arrived, we had a guided boat and bus tour to see how sustainable trading over the sea can work.

Afterwards, we gathered in school and had a discussion led by other Dutch students to exchange our ideas and general thoughts about sustainability in cities and schools. We realized that people all over the world care about our planet and want and try to change something.

In the evening, we spent time together at Mooie Bouls to eat, drink, play games and say goodbye. Especially the food caught our attention because it was served in a sustainable manner.

Friday, 21st October, Charlotte & Hannah & Tala

On our last day in Rotterdam we met at school to do some group work. Our assignment was to make a poster about how our schools can be more sustainable. There were a lot of different ideas presented. While some groups thought about sustainable energy sources and minimizing energy usage others thought about how to cut back on using paper or how to make the cafeteria more sustainable.

In the afternoon we gathered at the main station of Rotterdam to say our goodbyes. It was really sad because we made a lot of new friends throughout the project, got to know a new city, had a fun time while learning about sustainability. We all hope to see each other again.