A group of students and two teachers from the Amasya school (Turkey) arrived in Fano to meet the students of the Nolfi Apolloni high school, thanks to an Erasmus – Etwinning project promoted by the teachers Stefani Binucci and Isabella Mazzacchera.
The Erasmus+ project to which the two schools have joined, entitled “Sustainable friendship for a sustainable future” focuses on objective 11 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – ‘Sustainable Cities and Communities’ – and aims to make people reflect the children not only on the overall concept of sustainability but also on how sustainable their schools and cities can be, starting from the observation of what has already been put in place up to the development of concrete proposals to be implemented in the future. The topic of sustainability is very important for everyone, especially for young people who must acquire awareness of problems related to the environment and climate change and start taking care of their planet through conscious consumer choices and correct daily behavior.
During their stay in Fano from 7 to 14 May, the Turkish students participated in the lessons of the Italian students (from the Artistic high school) and worked on a common project, which envisaged, as a collaborative final product, the creation of products built with recycled material .
The stay was punctuated by moments of learning about the area and the numerous initiatives related to sustainability. Under the guidance of the students of the Linguistic high school, ‘Ciceroni’ beginners, the foreign students visited the historic center and its most important monuments, experiencing first-hand the thousand-year history of ‘recycling’ that has produced the urban stratification of today. The walk in the center was also a precious opportunity to visit ‘alternative’ commercial and artisanal activities: the Caseificio Pupetta for the on-site production of cheeses, La Pasta della Peppa for handmade pasta like in the past, Cose Senza Tempo and Abiti Senza Time as virtuous examples of how to prolong the life of everyday objects, La Saponaria for the conscious production of organic cosmetics. The in-depth analysis on the topic of recycling and separate waste collection continued with the highly informative visit to the CRD-Centro Raccolta Differentiata of Aset, where the operators sent a clear message on the need to separate correctly in order to manage waste well, without forget the value of knowing how to reuse, so as to cause as little damage as possible to the environment. Very interesting, then, was the afternoon spent at Lake Vicini, an environmental redevelopment centre, essential for the conservation of the environment, the well-being of the community and raising awareness of the importance of nature protection. The students also greatly appreciated the “Casa Archilei” environmental education center, with its naturalistic and sensorial itineraries, a great example of rebirth and protection of the Environment.
The Turkish and Italian students also participated in a creative workshop. During the workshop, the Italian students taught their Turkish peers how to create and decorate traditional carnival masks using waste materials. For their part, the Turkish students taught the Italians how to dye and paint fabrics using natural dyes obtained from fruit and vegetables, showing them traditional techniques to create unique designs and decorations.
The mayor Massimo Seri and the councilor for Culture and the Environment Cora Fattori, together with the director of the Fano high school Samuele Giombi, gave the group a warm welcome in the Concordia room of the Municipality.
In conclusion, the “Sustainable Friendship for a Sustainable Future” project was a great success and allowed participants to acquire new knowledge and skills to address the environmental, economic and personal challenges of our time. We are confident that participants will continue to apply what they have learned in their daily lives and spread the message of sustainability in their community.
