Report by our Finnish partner Laura Robinson The second student ...

Report by our Finnish partner Laura Robinson
The second student event of the project was our visit to beautiful, sunny Maidstone,
England in May 2012.
Upon arriving at the school on Wednesday, we
received our schedules and fuzzy white hoodies
bearing an emblem of the project designed by
Valley Park students. All the students were
photographed in their hoodies and we got down to
business. After touring the school, admiring
especially the art work in the halls, the fish pond in
the courtyard, and the farm animals in the yard,
we settled into our first workshop, which was
creating a business plan for the entrepreneurial
part of the project.
The next day we rose bright and early and piled into a properly English double-decker
bus that would take us to London. While in London we explored Tate Modern, took in
the view from the London Eye, enjoyed the quality food at Pizza Express, and relaxed
during a sightseeing bus ride. In the evening, we were treated to
a show in the West End, The Blood Brothers. At the end of the
day, we were tired but happy.
Friday it was time for the much-awaited art workshops in Valley
Park's state of-the-art facilities. Students could elect to
participate in photography, fine art, or ceramics, and each group
collectively created something for the exhibition. Everyone
learned some new techniques and enjoyed each other's
company. That afternoon, we were again bused in the direction
of London - to the amusement park Thorpe Park. Putting
business before pleasure, we attended a fascinating
lecture on the marketing of Thorpe Park before turning
the students loose to enjoy the rides.
When the weekend rolled around we were ready to do
some sports and so headed to a sports center in
Canterbury. There students had the opportunity to play
Olympic sports such as badminton and football. The
biggest hit owing to the absolutely gorgeous weather,
was beachvolleyball.

For lunch we headed into Canterbury and had
a chance to see a little of the historic town. The
teachers even indulged in a traditional English
cream tea.
That evening we were treated to a gala dinner featuring a special guest speaker,
Paralympic runner Danny Crates who had us spellbound by his inspiring story.
On Sunday the students had an opportunity to spend time with their host families
and explore Maidstone before seeing the Germans off, while the Finns stayed one
more night. The students were sorry to be parted and looking forward to the next visit
in Germany.