Comenius International Conference 15 - 17 March 2006

Since 2004 Carmel has been working with partner schools in five EU countries, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Cyprus, on a three-year project funded by the European Commission. The project, “How Migration has influenced our European Culture”, has involved many students from all of the partner schools working together on a variety of topics including the following: comparative histories of migration, the influence of Indian culture on British fashion, influences on our gastronomy and migrants changing the face of music and art.

Conferences have been held in Germany, Cyprus, Hungary and, most recently, in the UK. Four Year 11 students from Carmel gave a presentation of their textiles project in Miskolc, Hungary in September 2005. They then showed the finished product at the Carmel Conference in March, alongside presentations from our partners and two others from Carmel students, Year 7 on asylum seekers and Year 10 on the influence of Italian migrants on British cooking.

In addition to the presentations, the 22 delegates, ten teachers and twelve students, had the chance to see round the college, visit Durham and Darlington and get to know the Worshipful the Mayor, Stella Robson. They were overwhelmed by the hospitality of their host families and the college. This included a superb Italian meal in the college on the last day cooked by the Year 10 Food Technology group and the novel experience of a wild Ceilidh organised by the PTA to finish their stay. Next stop Poland in the autumn!

Click here to view images taken by our visitors and to view the presentations given during their visit.