Public services and creative media students build international links in Poland

“This was my first trip abroad and it was great to experience a different kind of community. I particularly enjoyed the cat café and our tour guide was absolutely awesome.” Maddison Morris , Public Services student. 

Coleg Sir Gâr public services and creative media students recently visited Poland, where they explored the historic city of Kraków, the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial site, and the district of Nowa Huta.

Locations were chosen by staff which would teach them about different Polish eras such as the war, post war/communist era as well as modern Poland. 

Along with two members of staff, 10 public services and three creative media students went on the Taith-funded trip.

It was the first time some of the students had flown and so tutors arranged a special mention for them by the pilot on the aircraft speaker system.

The trip was inspired by the group’s links with Paolo Piana and Elwena Drewniak from Llanelli Multicultural Network and Llanelli Community Partnership.

They arranged links with XXI Liceum, a school in Kraków that sent the Llanelli students a video about their town and their lives and they reciprocated with a video on Llanelli life which included cultural areas such as Kidwelly Castle, The Goods Shed and Pembrey Church - where there are Polish war graves. 

In Kraków, they met up with the students who sent the video at their school and spent time in their lessons as well as visiting Wielopolski Palace – the seat of the authorities of the City of Kraków. The meeting was an opportunity to learn about the functioning of Kraków’s local government.

A particularly meaningful moment of the visit was the presentation of a letter and a symbolic gift from the mayor of Llanelli to the authorities of Kraków, as a token of friendship and a sign of hope for future joint projects and youth exchanges. Llanelli students also shared gifts including local cuisine and Welsh flags. 

The main aim of the trip was an educational visit to Auschwitz as part of the public services course, specifically the war and conflict module. 

Creative media students were tasked with creating and editing audio-visual footage of the trip, which will be released in June. 

The group also had a personal tour guide at Nowa Huta, a district of Kraków, built in 1949 as a model socialist city and a showcase of communist ideology in post-war Poland.

Carolann Healy, lecturer in public services at Coleg Sir Gâr said: “Our students were fantastic and were really grateful of the opportunity and kept thanking us for it. 

“Having a first-hand insight into the Polish culture really offered them a real-life experience.”

Creative media student Steffan Davies said: “The opportunity for me to go to Poland was amazing as I could enhance and showcase my skills. 

“Not only could I experience the country, culture, and architecture, but it also allowed me to improve my filmmaking skills and get real-world experience for my course.”