Meeting in Braga

Almost the whole "Leading Lights" group on the stairs of Bom Jesus sanctuary

Third meeting of the project "Leading Lights" was in Braga, Portugal, 9th - 13th October 2017. From our school students Emma and Laura and teachers Eva and Johanna participated the meeting. 

As earlier we collaborated with Laanila High School. To get to know each other before the trip and to have something to take with us to an international picnic, we baked some cinnamon buns together on Friday evening before the departure. 

 Baking cinnamon buns with students and teachers from Laanila High School

The main theme in Portugal was "Celebrating Difference". Every school had prepared a presentation about how the students who are blind or deaf or who others have special needs, have been taken as an equal part of the school community. Since in the previous meetings people have been interested about the Swedish speaking minority in Finland, our students presentation was held from that point of view and the special needs were taken into account in the larger perspective, with the help of Laura´s video about accessibility in Oulu.

Emma and Laura's presentation

 (This wasn't a part of presentation ;) )

During the sunny five days we familiarized us with the students with special needs, and visited different associations and churches as well as a synagogue and a museum. We also heard a touching lecture about discrimination issues in schools by an university researcher. We visited also the towns of Porto and Guimaraes, and got to meet the mayor of Braga. :)

International picnic at the school farm

Team Finland. In the back row: Nina, Siina, Johanna, Eva and Jarkko.

In front: Noora, Emma, Laura and Aapo.

Synagogue of Porto

Picnic in the City Park of Porto

Outside of a Shelter for Victims of Domestic Violence

Selfietime!

Group photo

The week in Braga was really succeed. Both students and teachers made a bunch of new friends and learned a lot about equality. The various activities challenged our ways to think and opened eyes to look things from different aspects.

At the end of week every participant got a certificate in a festive ceremony with vibrant applause. Thank you, Portugal and all the nice people there!