448 million. That is the number of people living in the European Union. 10 000 – that is the number of people who work in the European Parliament. And 24 is the number of students from Prva gimnazija Varaždin, Croatia who visited Strasbourg and participated in the Euroscola project, after having won a prize for a video entitled “The Baltic Way”.  Oh la la! A trip to Strasbourg, two nights in France and a day in the European Parliament – an excellent opportunity for young adults to see democracy at work. Credits: newsforyouth The “Baltic Way”  – Way To Go “The Baltic Way” video was a ..read more

In the framework of an interdisciplinary research project, the students attending the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at Prva gimnazija Varaždin, Croatia explored the topic of transhumanism and tried to answer a crucial question: Are we ethically allowed to do everything we can do technologically? On the 14th June 2023, the students of 3IB class participated in a natural science project, known as Group 4 project which took place in a multifunctional school room called ROC. The theme of the project was “Transhumanism: Future of Humans as a Species“. 19 students from the 3.IB were ..read more

High-school students from Finland, Hungary and Spain spent a week in Croatia hiking in nature. The fourth and final mobility of the Erasmus+ project “Under the European Stars” was held in Varaždin from 2nd to 9th May, 2023. More than 40 students and 10 teachers from four European countries participated in this mobility. The main purpose of the project “Under the European Stars” has been to raise awareness about the importance of nature, mental and physical health, how to do digital detox, and improve face to face communication. The project has also taught the students about mental resilience ..read more

From November 2022 to March 2023, students of two Croatian grammar schools, I. Gimnazija Varaždin and XV. Gimnazija Zagreb participated in a history project entitled “City Architexture” focusing on the culture of remembrance. Through research about different architectural structures from the 20th century, the students learned how political propaganda influences citizens’ perception of historical monuments and buildings Credit: Prva gimnazija Varaždin Culture of remembrance Culture of remembrance refers to the social and cultural practices that help to preserve the memory of significant histori ..read more

During November and December 2022, students and teachers of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at the First Grammar School in Varaždin, Croatia (Prva gimnazija Varaždin) implemented an interdisciplinary project entitled Just say no to food waste. The first exhibition was held on November 3rd 2022 in the school and showcased 6 subjects: Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS), English B, Geography, Biology, Chemistry, and Visual Arts students’ presentations. The second and final exhibition took place on December 22nd and included projecets in 8 different subjects: Croatian A Li ..read more

Students of the Commercial and Trade School in Bjelovar, Croatia, had an opportunity to experience life and work in Ireland by participating in an Erasmus+ project named “2in1 Together in Ireland”. The mobility was held in Dublin from 23rd April to 7th May 2022. Some students took a two week course, organized by Martello Training enterprise, on how to found a training firm in Ireland, while others got a chance to work in two different shops as part of their praxis. Graduate student Maja Domitrović shares her impressions of this unique experience. Photo by Lukas Kloeppel on Pexels.com In my thi ..read more

Photo by Prva gimnazija Varaždin On October 25, 2022, the National Research Council of Italy, Bologna, hosted the VII European Conference Raw MatTERS Ambassadors at Schools. Students, aged 10 – 19, and their mentors from 19 European countries and 29 educational institutions presented various projects, experiments and workshops to raise awarenss of the importance of raw materials. Photo by CRN, Bologna RM@Schoolsis a long-lasting project that was first organized in 2016 by six partner countries: Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain, and Hungary. Many other countries and universities join ..read more

Photo by Prva gimnazija Varaždin The third mobility of the Erasmus+ project “Under the European Stars” was held in Spain from 23rd to 30th October 2022 and united over 40 students and 20 teachers from Croatia, Hungary, Finland and Spain. The host school was El Centro Inglés in the city of El Puerto de Santa Maria. The main objective and focus of the project was mental health, digital detox and mindfulness. Students participated in a series of various activities and challenges over the course of a week and came out with experiences which they describe as inspiring and unforgettable. We talked t ..read more

Highschool students from Croatia, Finland, Hungary and Spain spent a week camping in Hungarina mountains in order to raise awareness of the importance of nature for mental and physical health. Photo by Prva gimnazija Varaždin The Erasmus+ project ,,Under The European Stars”, carried out at Prva gimnazija Varaždin, Croatia, promotes many activities which encourage young people to spend time in nature. Apart from Croatian grammar school, the project involves highschools from Finland, Hungary and Spain. The main objective of the project is to raise awareness of mental health so highschool student ..read more

Humanity has fallen into a deep contradiction. Adamantly self-proclaimed and proven to be the smartest species to ever exist, the founders of literature, art, history, science, mathematics and technology is endangering its own survival. We have conjured it all from the depths of our minds and made it into the Anthropocene but for how much longer can we sustain our endeavors – and ensure our survival? “Economy beat sentiment and benevolence.” We won but at what cost? Homo sapiens, essentially hairless chimpanzees, have created societies that have dominated the world with nothing but cattle, s ..read more