Our experience in Belgium

Some 2nd-year Lower Secondary students who participated in the exchange tell us about their experience:

• Why did you decide to sign up for the exchange in Belgium?

We signed up for the exchange to have a new experience, to get out of our daily routine, and to immerse ourselves in a new culture.

• At Sint Barbara school you worked on STEAM activities. What activities were the highlights for you?

The first thing we did was design a keychain with a 3D application called tinkercad and then we printed it with the 3D printer.

Another activity that we really enjoyed was programming a robot with the lego mindstorm programming application. The objective was for the robot to move through a circuit, pick up a box, and leave it at the end of the route.

We also did other creative activities. For example, on the third day we made agraffiti template. The first step was to draw it on paper and send it to the teacher as a photo. Later, it was printed with a laser printer. With the template, we graffitied a typical street in Ghent where everyone can do graffiti legally. Finally, we went to the museum of industry where we printed our own designs on T-shirts.

• How was it living with the families?

With the families, everyone had a positive experience and everyone felt very comfortable. On top of the activities with the school, we also did things with the families. For example, some of us visited new cities like Bruges and Ghent, while others did some after-school activities that theirpartners had. Interestingly, they speak Flemish in Ghent, a Germanic language that is a mix between German and Dutch, and the local language of the area, just like Catalan here. However, everyone speaks English very well.