Our project kicked off with a three day meet up in Laois Education Support Centre (LESC). We were excited to welcome our partners and get to know them better. This visit was organised by Chair of LESC, Liam O'Neill, Vice-Chair, Niamh Campion and Director, Catherine Doolan.

This was the itinerary:

Sunday evening: arrive in Portlaoise. The group stayed in the Killeshin Hotel and were welcomed by Liam and Niamh.

Monday:

• Met at LESC at 9.00am. Coffee to start!
• Introductions – each partner had a short presentation on their school ready.
• Outline of contents of application and plan to date for the programme. Expectations, challenges and opportunities as a group.
• More coffee: each partner brought along a small treat from their own country to share at the coffee break.
• Function of our working group and roles.
• Session on Schools of Belonging: welcoming newcomer families and communication with home.
• Visit to a local Primary school to see how they handle diversity. Lunch in the school.
• Evening: Cultural trip, refreshments and a taste of the midlands of Ireland - dinner in a local traditional Irish pub with some musical entertainment. 

Tuesday:

• Visit to a local post-primary school to see how they handle diversity.
• More coffee!
• Further input on welcoming newcomer families and communication with home.
• Lunch: 12.30pm
• 1.00-3.00pm: Session with Dr. Déirdre Kirwan on Embracing Linguistic Diversity. Deirdre is one of the foremost European experts in this area and is working with our teachers, so partners got to meet our teachers from the Schools of Belonging Project and to hear Deirdre, too.
• Cultural trip to Rock of Dunamaise
• Dinner in the Killeshin Hotel 

Wednesday:

• Visit to a primary school in Tullamore to see how they handle diversity
• Session there on using technology to welcome newcomer families
• Coffee and treats
• Return to LESC for lunch at 1.00pm
• Finishing with review of visit and planning session on next steps.
• Goodbyes!

We met again in Aalen, Germany in May 2024. This was our second mobility, hosted by Schubart Gymnasium. 

This was the itinerary:

Monday 13th:

• 9am-10am Welcome at school by our principal and colleagues
• 10am – 12am presentation of our school (different classes, presentatio
• 12.30pm lunch in the school cafeteria
• 14pm -16pm visit to a local “middle school” (near to our school)
• 16.30pm-18.00pm free time
• 18.00pm-dinner in town (costs covered by yourselves
• 20.00pm night watchman tour of Aalen

Tuesday 14^th   

• 9 am meet at school or pick up at hotel
• 10am to 12pm visit of a “Gemeinschaftsschule” (comparable to a comprehensive school) in Unterkochen
• 12pm lunch
•  14pm visit to Zeiss in Oberkochen (to look at how an international company handles diversity) see especially on pages 52-54 https://mamcache.zeiss.com/viewer/2204_1707312141129#page_no-0
•  19pm dinner at a local traditional restaurant
•  
• Wednesday 15^th          
• 9:30 -11.00 pm visit to our local university to see how they handle diversity.
• 11pm-12pm Feedback group meeting followed by lunch in the university cafeteria. End of our second meeting in Aalen. 

Our third mobility was in Zrenjanin, Serbia in October 2024. We were hosted by our colleagues in Zarko Zrenjanin. This was the itinerary:

Monday, 21 October

• 9.30 pick up at the Hotel Vojvodina

• 10.00 -12.00 visit to our elementary school Zarko Zrenjanin (meet and greet, an awarded school play, visit one 5th grade, 1st Erasmus group meeting)

• 12.00 lunch at school (catering will be organized)

• 13.00 reception at the Town hall with the Mayor

• 15.00 visit to a special education elementary and high school 9.Maj
• 19.00 dinner at the traditional restaurant (a short walk from the hotel).

Tuesday, 22 October

• 9.30 pick up at the hotel Vojvodina

• 10.00 visit to a local elementary school Petar Petrovic Njegos (how they handle diversity and adult education).
• 12.00 visit to a multicultural elementary school in a nearby village - Belo Blato (they use 5 different local languages and are part of many Erasmus projects).
• 13.30 lunch at the well-known traditional
• restaurant near the village
• 16.00-16.45 second group meeting at the conference room in the hotel
• 17.00 -18.00 cultural visit to a town’s Museum
• 20.00 dinner at the international restaurant near the hotel 

Wednesday, 23 October

• 9.30 visit to a high school Zrenjaninska Gimnazija (how they handle diversity; multicultural projects).
• 11.00 final group meeting
• 13.00 light lunch
• End of 3rd meeting in Serbia

Program Vienna activity, 23rd to 26th of February 2025

Sunday Feb 23^rd:

• individual transfers to Greet Vienna City North (Brünnerstraße 67/A, 1210 Wien);
• welcome meeting in the lobby from 18-18:30; Dinner at 19:00  

Monday Feb 24^th:

• 8:30 pick up at the hotel to our school GRG 21, Ödenburgerstraße 74.
• 9:00 welcome at our school and school tour with our guides from the 8^th form
• 9:40 to 10:05 buffet from around the world and beverages
• 10:05 to about 10:45 program and speeches in our hall
• coffee break
• 11:05 to 11:55 visit to 2-3 classes to see examples of multilingual activities
• 12:00 to 12:30 time for questions and discussion
• 12:30 to 13:00 lunch break at school 
• 13:00 to 15:45: first group meeting (reflection, progress reports, winter project)
• 15:45 pick up at the hotel for a guided tour through downtown Vienna (with one of our colleagues Margit Kaya as your tour guide).
• 18:30 dinner at a typical Vienna restaurant in the city centre 
• optional after dinner: walk to Rathausplatz Wiener Eistraum

Tuesday Feb 25^th:

• 8:15 pick up at the hotel
• 9:15 to 11:00 visit of a primary school GTVS am Schöpfwerk with a history of Erasmus + activity and a very multicultural student body
• 11:30 quick lunch at a butchery/café on our way 
• 12:30 to 16:30 visit of a comprehensive school (10 to 18 year olds, mixed levels) WMS/RG/ORG Anton Krieger Gasse , which has a reputation of being very open-minded and diverse.
• pick up at hotel at 17:30/18:00 for a short walk – 10-15 minutes - on Bisamberg to a place with a nice view on Vienna); transfer in cars to a typical restaurant in a little village a bit outside of Vienna. 

Wednesday Feb 26^th:

• 9:00 walk / travel to school
• 9:30 to about 11:00 lecture on the project VoxMi, which originated from an Erasmus project about 10 years ago. Mag. Ursula Mauric will report on the project and two colleagues will introduce best practice examples they have done so far. There will also be time for Q&A.
• coffee break
• 11:15 to 12:00 second group meeting: feedback; planning of future activities and the Portugal visit; AOB
• 13:00: Lunch at a nearby restaurant