Vienna Project Week Erasmus+ Book Club

 

In December 2022, the kick-off of the Erasmus+ project titled "European Book Club" took place at our school, BRG14 Linzerstraße, in Vienna. This exchange program is funded by the European Union. During this week, 24 Austrian students hosted 24 guest students from Finland, Italy, and Sweden. Together, they worked towards the common goal of designing a European curriculum for literature, which will be used to teach literature in European schools in the future.

 

During the mornings team-building activities various workshops on different aspects of literature and work on the curriculum in small groups were on the agenda. Additionally, the students also got to know the Austrian school system. "I was aware that there are differences in the various school systems, but here I learned so much about Austrian school life and Austrian culture, of which I knew nothing before," said one of the Swedish students.

 

In addition to the program at the school, the students attended a reading by the Austrian youth book author Cornelia Travnicek at the Penzing Library. During this encounter, the students had the opportunity to gain insight into the author's profession and ask all their questions about the field of being a writer. Furthermore, an art project was carried out at the school: the design of a public bookshelf on the school premises, where all guest students were allowed to leave their graffiti mark. 

 

During a stay in Vienna in December, a visit to Schönbrunn Palace with its famous Christmas market was of course a must. On Thursday, the Austrian students also organized a city walking tour that took the group to the most beautiful sights such as the Opera House, the Musikvereinssaal, the Heldenplatz with the National Library, City Hall, the University of Vienna, and St. Stephen's Cathedral. The evenings were spent with their host siblings and host parents, where they gained insight into the Austrian cuisine and everyday life. The week ended with a fun pizza and karaoke evening at school.

 

"The laborious week was culturally very enriching and thus a great success. Even in such a short time, a foundation was laid for one or the other international friendship, and we are already looking forward to the further project weeks abroad, where we will continue to work intensively on our European curriculum for literature lessons," said the project leaders.

 

This Erasmus+ project "European Book Club" - a cooperation between our school and Italy, Finland, and Sweden - shows how educational cooperations can contribute to promoting understanding between different cultures. Participants not only expand their literary knowledge, but also gain valuable experiences and strengthen their intercultural competence, which they can use in their later lives. "This type of cultural exchange is unique, you have to experience it firsthand," said one of the Finish guest students.

6A (SY 2023/24), Henriette Smetschka and Katharina Kreiter