Empowering collaboration: a recap of our fourth transnational partner meeting

 

In a productive and culturally enriching session, our recent transnational partner meeting in Estonia provided a platform for meaningful discussions and collaborative planning.

 

The week began with participants from Belgium and Ireland gathering in Tallinn on Monday, 27 November 2023. We were all delighted by the snow, what a beautiful sight to behold!

 

The day after, we embarked on a train journey to Kehtna, where the Kehtna Vocational Education Centre is located. Here we were greeted by our Estonian partners and during a delicious lunch at Bistroo, we were able to catch up. The afternoon’s agenda included discussions on new partnerships and an overview of the project's progress. We looked into the results of our international reading survey and reviewed the e-course on the close reading strategy, that is at the heart of our project. We concluded the day with a tasty meal at the local ‘Hollywood’ restaurant in Rapla.

 

Wednesday commenced with a feedback session on the current version of our first game, inspired by excerpts of ‘The Little Prince’. We had a hybrid meeting with the Belgian game development company Play It and it was amazing to see and discuss the progress! After redesigning the e-course, we were able to design something else: our own personal mug! We tremendously enjoyed the workshop at TaevaniMaani, renowned for its beautiful stone ware. Plates, mugs, vases: they have it all. An unforgettable dinner at the personal home of two chefs (the ‘Ehe Home Resto’) rounded off the day.

 

On Thursday, a lot of practical arrangements had to be made: we discussed the launch of the website, planned the testing of the game pilot in different secondary schools and fixed the date for our next meeting, which will be in Dublin! Later that day, we arrived back in Tallinn, where we were able to explore the stunning medieval old town, a UNESCO world heritage site.

 

As the curtain fell on this chapter of our collaborative journey, participants left with a renewed sense of purpose and a shared vision. The echoes of insightful discussions and strategic planning will undoubtedly resonate in the exciting developments that lie ahead in our project's unfolding narrative!