We, Paula Bieg, Emily Dauner (both Q12) and Lucija Zovko (Year 11) were able to take part in an exchange with our partner school in Finland. The project is funded by Erasmus Plus.

After welcoming our exchange students to Schwäbisch Hall in October 2023, we flew to Finland at the beginning of April 2024. We spent 3 weeks in the twin town of Lappeenranta. There we gained an insight into the Finnish school system and culture. Our host families went to great lengths to introduce us to everyday Finnish life. We regularly went to the sauna, went ice-swimming in the large Lake Saimaa in the south-east of the country, tried traditional food (such as karjalanpiirakka), went to a field hockey match and got to know the Finnish language. At the end of the exchange, we spent a weekend together in the capital Helsinki.

We are grateful that Erasmus Plus gave us the opportunity to have this great experience and explore Finland.