The document contains summaries from several students about their experiences participating in a youth exchange program in Italy. They describe making new friends from other countries, learning about different cultures, and visiting historical sites like Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius. The students felt the experience gave them a new perspective and helped break down barriers between nations.

1. ITALY
EUROPEAN ROOTS AND DREAMS
“I will never forget the days spent in Italy because I had a great time with nice boys and
girls from partner countries and we all had the chance to learn how life outside our
country is. I think that after this experience everyone in the project will have a different
view on life and will try to make the world a better place, a place where the words racism
or hatred will not exist and the words peace and love will replace the former. I am
looking forward to doing a new project following.”
Bogdan
“My personal experience is fantastic. I travelled to Italy and we had a wonderful time
there. We made new friends and had a great time with them. We met boys and girls from
Spain, Turkey and, of course, Italy, who were very friendly and nice to everyone. We
talked about our city, our customs and generally how the youth of our country spend their
free time. We also talked and shared opinions on our cultures. We all learned many
things about the other cultures and we took active part in the debates. During our visit in
Italy we visited Naples, Capri Island, we climbed up Mount Vesuvius. Our visit ended
with tears of joy and happiness because we were being separated from our new friends
with whom we had a great time the previous days.”
Florin
“It has been one year since the Comenius programme started. We have reached almost to
the end of this programme and all the experiences we had and the friends we made, are
something that I would never change with anything in the whole world. The European
journeys’ last destination was Italy. The students who were to travel there were the
happiest – we could walk among “history”. The visit to Pompeii was absolutely
extraordinary. Words can not cover what I felt there. When we returned to Romania and
told our mates what a wonderful country Italy is and what a great time we had had, we
gave an extra motive to the other students to become part of a Comenius project team.”
Alex

2. “It was the first time that I had travelled abroad so I could not hide my happiness. The
country was fantastic, completely different from Romania and in a way it forces you to
visit it again. I met new people from Italy, Spain and Turkey. My host family was
fantastic. I learnt a lot about their way of life, their traditions and many other things that I
couldn’t know if I hadn’t joined this project.”
Georgiana
“I worked as a part of a team with my fellow students but also with students from other
counties. I couldn’t imagine myself doing such things with children from other countries
if Comenius hadn’t rushed in our lives. This project literally changed my life and the way
I see and trust people from now on. Italians are nice and funny. I liked them very much.”
Teodora