Cross-border project day with four school classes at Saxion
Four classes from schools in the border region, totaling 110 students, gathered at Saxion for the project day of the "Euregionale Doorlopende Leerlijn" on 2 October. In German-Dutch teams, the students explored the city of Enschede with a photography competition and they improved their language skills during a debate game.
Look at the border as an opportunity, not a barrier!
"Look at the border as an opportunity, not a barrier!" is the motto of the Euregionale Doorlopende Leerlijn (EDL), an Interreg VI project that promotes collaboration between German and Dutch educational institutions. The project day is one of the activities. School classes from Havixbeck, Münster, Aalten, and Haaksbergen were invited to participate.
The day started with a photo competition in the city center of Enschede. Mixed teams of German and Dutch students set out to capture the local surroundings. While the students were out exploring, the accompanying teachers were given a tour of the EDL Expertise Centre at Saxion. This centre provides teachers with educational materials and free advice on how to integrate the topics of Dutch/German culture and language into their lessons.
EDL Expertise Centre
After a lunch, the students participated in a debate game. In teams, they debated topics such as the minimum voting age in European elections and the benefits of doing an internship in the neighbouring country. The arguments were prepared beforehand in their classes. To practice their language skills, the Dutch students spoke German during the debate, while the German students spoke Dutch—an exciting challenge for many.
The day concluded with a presentation about the Euregio and how young people can contribute to cross-border collaboration. Through initiatives like this project day, the EDL-project aims to inspire schools and students to look beyond borders, fostering low-threshold opportunities to meet and engage with the culture of their neighbouring country.
Students in the theater
The EDL-project is subsidised by the European Regional Development Fund. The following Interreg partners have also contributed: Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy and the Province of Overijssel on the Dutch side and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate and Energy NRW (Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Industrie, Klima und Energie NRW) on the German side.