On November 14th, the Erasmus + “Digital Competence and eSafety” project for the students of the Ernesto Balducci Institute kicked off. The project, which originally started in 2020, had been slowed down due to the pandemic, but at last it was possible for students from all over Europe to  meet and share their experiences.

“Digital Competence and eSafety” allowed the students  to improve their knowledge on a safer use of the Internet and social media. Between 2nd and 3rd April, exchange students from Greece, Poland, Iceland, Slovakia and Sweden, accompanied by their teachers,  landed in Italy, where a group of Italian students, with their families, welcomed them. The next day in Vittorio Emanuele II square in  Pontassieve, the mayor of the town, Monica Marini and the principal of the school officially welcomed the exchange students and their teachers;  the Italian students led  a guided tour of the town center,  wearing some typical Renaissance costumes, provided by the “Corteo Storico”, a local association that acts in order to take care of ancient traditions and pass them on to young generations. After a shared lunch, the students took part in the first “E-Safety” meeting that went on the next day, approaching some issues linked to our project: Sexting, Sextortion and GDPR. 

These themes were explained through workshops guided by Federico Micali, a lawyer and videomaker, and also with the contribution of Giorgos Hlapanis, our coordinator, who helped us to analyze the surveys of the different countries. 

The week was really fun, intense and full of activities, such as guided visits to Florence, Siena and San Gimignano, the pleasant  interaction with host families, the cultural enrichment with international groups.  This experience really enriched us both from a linguistic and cultural point of view. 

At the end of the day, we can say that it has beens  a stimulating and challenging week, we recommend it  to every student.

Culture and curiosity can change your life!