Dalbeattie welcomed 27 students and 10 staff from schools around Europe last week.
Visitors came from partner schools in Greece, Romania and France to live, work and play together with high school and primary school students in Dalbeattie.
This was the first meet up – or “mobilitie” – of the joint Erasmus project, focusing on the themes of climate change and renewable energy.
The project involves families in each location opening their homes to host a young person from abroad for the week and the school was delighted by how well this worked. Almost all the hosts and visitors seemed to hit it off well and there seem to be some friendships formed which will last well beyond this week. The school is hugely grateful to all the Dalbeattie families who made this such a success.
A packed programme saw the students busy debating energy supply, investigating climate change causes, effects and solutions and also doing some hands-on practical work to build small wind turbines and solar box cookers. There was also time for some fun and games and a series of visits in the local area.
Huge thanks are due to all the local businesses and organisations which supported the project with a typically warm Galloway welcome. Sandyhills Holiday Park provided a great venue for the BBQ and even laid on glorious sunshine for the event. Tongland Power Station hosted a visit and the students were intrigued by the turbine hall and awed by the power of the water released at the sluice gates.
Dave Thompson and volunteers at Threave were great hosts and explained about their landscape restoration scheme and the Keiley family at Carton Croft also welcomed the visitors and local students to see and talk about farming and the environment.
Dalbeattie Museum was a huge hit with the visitors and the organisers would like to thank Ian Strachan and his colleagues for their attention and enthusiasm. Likewise; Tom, Peter, Alan and Briony from the Dalbeattie e-bike project were great at getting the whole company mobile on bikes and out into the forest. Birchvale Theatre also got in on the act, throwing open the doors of their new theatre for impromptu games and activities on Wednesday evening.
A grand ceilidh was held on Thursday evening in which the visitors acquitted themselves very well, having been coached in Scottish country dancing by Mr Drennan, Mr Brown and Mr Kennedy the ceilidh masters.
The school is grateful to all in the community who made our visitors welcome.
