Exchange Hamm Afyon Erasmus Project

Project Title

Exchange Hamm Afyon

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Civic engagement / responsible citizenship; Environment and climate change; Cultural heritage/European Year of Cultural Heritage

Project Summary

Schloss Heessen Grammar School in Hamm and Süleyman Grammar School in Afyon are both boarding schools and they maintain partner schools since 2018. After a first exchange of teachers with focus on lesson planning and technical sources of both schools an exchange programme for pupils was being discussed. Both, the landscape and the cultural surrounding offer diverse opportunities for projects. Teachers who teach natural science sat together and developed a project including a student exchange which will be a great benefit not only in the scientific field but also in the area of foreign language experience as well as personal encouragement. Twenty students in total will be part of this project. They will be accompanied by specialist subject teachers. The students are between 14 and 17-years-old and they show a great interest in the project.
In Hamm, the project is part of the biology class for which they have to write a scientific paper. Students from Afyon were supported in their foreign language German beforehand and are encouraged to further develop their language skills. In addition to that, students from Süleyman Grammar School are responsible for the implementation and realisation in the last part of the project.
The project consists of two parts. The first part is a scientific examination of Lake Emre in Afyon and Radbodsee in Hamm. Radbodsee in Hamm is a financially supported EU project life+ which was integrated into the ecological system. Lake Emre is a contrast to the aforementioned as there is no protection of the environment. Furthermore, students will get to know Phrygians Valley which is a cultural heritage depicting Muslim roots as well as being a coining for Christian past. Both cultures can be found in this area and are combined here. In Hamm, the exchange group will get to know the ‘Lippeauen’ with the support of Hamm’s environment agency. This area is a natural heritage which was renatured with the help of an EU supported project Life+ some years ago. Nowadays, visitors are led by information boards and QR-codes. With the help of scientific examinations and being acquainted with environmental projects the exchange students are not only able to compare the landscapes and lakes with own data but they also develop measurements which can be used to renature Lake Emre. Aforementioned depicts the second part of the project. The implementation and realisation of both project parts should help the students to use subject related content and methods to care for the protection of nature and culture. Using their commitment, they will experience to be active, plan and perform in their own projects and attend to their interests. Own initiative will be demanded at all times. Simultaneously, students will accept responsibility for the long-term maintenance of the area.
The scientific examination will be done with various methods including soil investigation to find out about soil condition and bottomset beds, mapping of the landscape, survey of physical parameters within and outside the waterbody, examination of flora and fauna supported by identification keys, a chemical examination of the waterbody to define water quality and the calculation of the saprobic index by taking water samples. Students will collect, compile and analyse data of both areas and save these on the Erasmus+ platform. Results will show that there is a higher diversity of life forms in the ‘Radbodsee’. Due to environmental pollution at Lake Emre only few animals have their natural habitat in this area, as they find little refuge and get hurt by rubbish. Traces of human beings are of great amount and the public is not sensitised for ecological and cultural relevance of the lake and the landscape.
The project which was developed together by students will result in measurements that help to maintain Lake Emre and the Phrygian Valley. They will be looked after and cared for by Süleyman Grammar School in the first years. The first measurements of environmental protection include a cleaning of the lake and the banks, setting up of waste bins as well as the installing of information boards for the public. The impact for the lake can be proven in the next years. To ensure this, more examinations for comparison data should be taken.
A long-term aim of this project is to sensitise the public to maintain nature and respect it. After a successful realisation, the city of Afyon will take responsibility to ensure the preservation of the project.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 16060 Eur

Project Coordinator

Schloss Heessen privates Gymnasium mit Internat & Country: DE

Project Partners

• SULEYMAN DEMIREL FEN LISESI