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Student exchange in Italy: An unforgettable adventure for Halver!
Experience the student exchange between AFG Halver and Blaise Pascal in Giaveno, Italy – education, culture and friendships.
Student exchange in Italy: An unforgettable adventure for Halver!
From May 1st to 9th, 2025, 15 students from AFG Halver came to Italy as part of a student exchange. They were accompanied by the teachers Anna Brune, Ricarda Kuhlmann and the school principal Paul Meurer. The aim of the trip was to meet the partner school Blaise Pascal in Giaveno. After arriving at Porta Nuova train station in Turin, the German guests were warmly welcomed by their host families.
The exchange students spent the first evening with trips to Rivoli, a stroll through the city of Turin and eating pizza together. These first experiences laid the foundation for a varied week full of activities and cultural discoveries.
Diverse activities in the exchange program
The program highlights were varied and provided students with a rich range of experiences. On the first Friday they visited the impressive monastery complex Sacra di San Michele and went on a hike around the lakes of Avigliana. On Saturday, a trip to the Venaria Reale residence was on the agenda, followed by an exploration of downtown Turin. At the end of the day there was ice cream or coffee by the Po River.
Sunday was reserved for individual excursions with the host families, including trips to Milan and the car museum in Turin. On Monday, the students took part in lessons in Giaveno, supported German lessons and also visited an ecologically operated pasta factory. Tuesday was dedicated to exploring the Ligurian Sea, with a focus on the coastal towns of Noli and Spotorno, as well as a hike along the coast.
On Wednesday, a city tour of Turin was on the agenda, followed by a relaxing end in one of the many cafés. The last day was marked by lessons and a farewell party that offered emotional farewells. The return trip on Friday ended in tears for many students.
Future plans and sustainable exchange
The exchange experiences should not remain just one-off. Four Italian students will come to Halver as part of an individual exchange, while five AFG Halver students will travel again to Giaveno in September. Paul Meurer described the exchange as just the beginning of a promising collaboration between the schools.
The VIAVAI office, which has been promoting German-Italian youth exchange for over ten years, supports such initiatives with a variety of programs. It offers, among other things, student internships, holiday camps and information about further training opportunities in order to strengthen dialogue between nations. Its aim is to promote understanding and cooperation in order to jointly tackle challenges such as climate change, digitalization and migration. In this context, the German ambassador in Rome emphasizes the importance of the dialogue between Germany and Italy.
The encounters that took place as part of the exchange are intended to help consolidate European values and give young people the opportunity to leave their own comfort zone and discover new languages and cultures.