The Fourth Meeting

Mazara del Vallo-Italy, 7th-12th April 2019

First Day, 7h April 2019

Our hosts invited us in a walking tour of Mazara del Vallo. The city of “sea, wind and sun”, Mazara has a very rich history. Due to its strategic position, the town has been conquered over the time by various people: the Greek, the Normans, the Arabs.

In our visit we started from Mokarta Square with the Norman Castle Wall, and we had a tour of the most significant historical landmarks: the Gesuite College, the Vescoville Seminar, The Statue of Saint Vito and Garibaldi Theatre. We were impressed by the architectural beauty of the cathedral built because of Ruggero d’Altavilla in 1072 and by the variety of old priceless items exhibited in the Diocesan Museum and the Museum of the Dancing Satire. The intricate system of roads led us through impressive parks with palm trees, to the port, unique in Sicily due to its channels. During our walk we learned a lot of historical details about the town and its inhabitants, about their customs and traditions, surrounded by breathtaking views.

In the afternoon, parents, students and teachers went on a trip to the Archeological Park of Selinunte. It was a moment to strengthen the relations between partners in an informal activity. The ruins of the imposing temples and the museum exhibitions offered us significant data for the understanding of the customs and legends in different old periods in that region.

Day 2, 8th April 2019

The second day was dedicated to the school visit. Istituto d’Istruzioni Superiore R.D’Altavilla-V. Accardi is a big school that offers various profiles: electrotechnics, electronics, mechatronics, environmental biotechnology, the chemistry of materials, naval constructions, graphics and communication. During the activity we were invited to participate in various experiments in different types of laboratories.

In the chemistry lab we were explained the safety procedures and the different processes that are carried out there. We saw the devices and the results of some of the activities that happen in the food safety laboratory. We observed through the microscopes various types of cells in the biology laboratory and learned about the different diseases and the way they can be discovered. The students and the teachers became workers on big ships and guided them through different weather conditions, in various destinations, in the simulation centre.

In the mechatronic laboratory we were presented with the most important creations of the students. We were explained how the automated processes function in the case of the greenhouse, the elevator, the mobile bridges or the solar panels.

 Day 3, 9th April 2019

We started the agenda with the meeting with the headmaster of the school. We discussed about the importance of the projects and its effects on student’s behavior but also about the educational system in our countries and what can be done to improve the actual state of facts.

The next activity on the agenda was the general evaluation of the past four months of the project activities. Each country presented the short films rendering their experience. The day continued with a workshop on low cost Arduino projects. The students work in group assembling various parts of robots and concentrated on programming them to fulfill certain tasks.  The teachers decided on the rules for the exhibition. The judges were selected and they created the evaluation sheet for the presentation of the products.

We had lunch at school and teacher and student tasted typical Sicilian food. Everything was delicious. After lunch, the students started working on the project’s activities. They tested their robots together, talked about various uses for them and shared their ideas and thoughts.

 Day 4, 10th April 2019

In the morning we departed to Palermo. The scenery along the way impressed us all. We had a captivating walking tour of the landmarks of this busy city. The architecture of the buildings was impressive and the mixture of styles, due to various influences, was unique.

The Arab Norman Cathedral in Palermo, included in the World Heritage List captured our attention with its beauty. Garibaldi Theater and Pretoria Fountain were also impressive reminiscence of a glorious history. Our journey took us to the famous port and the souvenir shops, but we have also tried various types of tasty Sicilian street food.

Day 5, 11th April 2019

On Thursday, each country presented their creations. The students described the robots and demonstrated the way they work. Each robot showed originality, complexity, a creative purpose and all of them impressed the four judges and also the entire audience. Each team work was rewarded afterwards in the award and certificate ceremony.

In the evening, we participated in the farewell party. Parents, students and teachers had great fun together. The DG animated the atmosphere continuously and the audience kept dancing until midnight. The close relations of friendship already established, were strengthen in an informal environment, sharing customs traditional dances and ideas.

Day 6, 12th April 2019

In the last day we went at the mountains in Sicily. We drove to Erice, a small village at 751m above the sea. We walked from Trapani Gate through the narrow cobbled streets, until we reached the Venus Castle. We enjoyed the extraordinary panorama of the golf of Gulf of Trapani and the tip of San Vito Lo Capo at the horizon and the port of Trapani. We tasted the famous local sweets and admired the handmade decorated ceramics. Sometimes the clouds surrounded us, enhancing the mystery, other times the views urged us to take pictures.

In the afternoon we visited Trapani. The rain caused some troubles, but nothing stopped us from admiring the narrow streets, the architecture of the buildings and churches, the parks and squares or the beaches and the port.