Mayo college accredited with Eramus+ programme thanks to German links

by Johanna Blum

Davitt College, Castlebar, and Höchstadt Secondary School in Höchstadt, Germany, have been partners for 23 years.

Now the partner schools have been accredited for the Erasmus+ programme.

Maria Carey, Davitt College, and Tanya Fisher-Lehmann of Höchstadt Secondary School have jointly developed the programme for the project which focuses on cultural diversity and intercultural learning through customs and festivals.

It is not a given that such a programme will be successful, but the two schools have achieved this with a great deal of hard work and commitment from the two teachers and can now call themselves Erasmus+ schools.

This also means that all of the school's activities are funded by the EU.

A Castlebar delegation – 28 students and three teachers from Davitt College – recently visited Höchstadt. This visit was another perfect opportunity to exchange cultures and learn together.

Exciting activities and workshops were offered, enabling the young people from Castlebar to get to know Franconian customs and traditions.

The German students and their parents, along with the Irish students and their accompanying teachers Maria Carey, Annette Newall and Colm Garvey, were invited to the secondary school for a welcome evening.

There were joyful scenes as the young people greeted each other.

Headmaster Markus Ott welcomed everyone and expressed his pride in his colleagues from Castlebar and Höchstadt, who had prepared so well for the exchange.

Maria Carey thanked everyone for the delicious food. "Tanya has worked so hard to keep our partnership alive, but without the support of the school administrators on both sides, our colleagues, and the parents, none of this would have been possible.

“We are looking forward to immersing ourselves in German culture."

Tanya Fisher-Lehmann emphasised: "For an exchange like this to work well, you need great students, good support, a good team, super teachers, support from parents here and in Castlebar, and also the permission of the school administration. Everything is in place here."

The highlight was, of course, the opening of the Höchstadt Christmas Market.

Mayor Gerald Brehm hosted a reception, and then it was time to say goodbye.