By YLENIA AZZARO - JUMP Team (Italy)
It has just ended the experience of the two great teams representing the language school of Poznań CJO Kontakt (Poland) and the Liceo La Paz of A Coruña (Spain) hosted by the Associazione JUMP – Gioventù in riSalto of Soverato (Italy) for the first Learning Teaching Training of the Let’s Teach Europe project, finally implemented after a long period of lockdown due to Coronavirus.
An intensive week for 1 team leader and 4 students per organization, full of excursions along the Ionian Coast and emotional moments discovering the traditions and the Cultural Heritage of Calabria, documenting and exchanging practices among partners of the project.
Participants were involved in many outdoor activities visiting cultural places, exploring the wonderful nature surrounding the region and meeting local people.
They spent the first day in Soverato; in the morning with the “Mission Impossible”game to discover the city, speak Italian and English language and learn more about the local culture; in the afternoon with the walking tour to Soverato Superiore Old Village visiting the Botanical Garden and the “Addolorata Church” which contains a unique piece of art of Soverato, the “Pietà” marble group statue of Antonello Gagini, a Sicilian sculptor.
The second day JUMP organized an excursion to San Vito Sullo Ionio and the groups could meet two young entrepreneurs, a cheese producer and a farmer, having the opportunity to deepen the topic of “Green Economy” and “Circular Economy” connected with Cultural Heritage. At the end of the visit, they tasted some typical foods produced by them.
To understand the Calabrian history and the roots of old populations, the third day participants moved to the “Scolacium Park” visiting the archeological site and the museum of Squillace, very popular to be the village of ceramics; after the excursion the groups went to the Norman Castle in the main square and to the Mellace’s shop to have a demonstration on the working process of clay.
During the morning of the fourth day, an indoor session in the JUMP training room was conducted by Ylenia Azzaro and Francesco Tirinato (JUMP members) on food and cultural and linguistic roots of Calabria; a very great time for the participants who could also share elements of their local traditions. In the afternoon the delegations visited the “Nido di seta Cooperative” in San Floro, an example of a sustainable and ecological Circular Economy, and met the two young entrepreneurs who started their business in this small village as silk producers.
For the last day, after the visit to the local market of Soverato, JUMP organized an excursion to Badolato Old Village discovering art and traditions, visiting the convent of “Angels” and the medieval part of the town which is a paradise immerse in the nature of Calabria.
Surely, it was a fantastic week for all participants of this great project “Let’s Teach Europe!
