The Erasmus + ELISE2A project, a mobility project for learning purposes, started in September 2018. This project is coordinated internally by Christophe Hup, international cooperation referent and teacher in English at Agrocampus, coordinating institution of the project over the 2018-2020 period.
The aim for young people is to discover new professional practices while immersing themselves in a new European cultural environment.
At the end of the first year of the project, a first assessment of the learners is required. During this year 2018-2019, ELISE2A enabled the mobility of 10 learners. The latter in the first mixed STAV and first STAV Production class (agronomy and life sciences and technologies sector) went either to Ireland or Germany or Malta for an internship in a professional environment in June and July 2019.
Here are some of their European impressions …
I went to Cork in Ireland from June 17 to July 12, 2019 for an internship in an equestrian center. This internship went very well, at the beginning I was very nervous, I didn't know if the people in my internship were going to be nice, how my host family was going to be or if my commute to work was going to be.But when I arrived in Cork all those worries were gone. I really enjoyed the work during these four weeks, I had the opportunity to practice my English a lot. As it is an equestrian center, there was a lot to do, cleaning the boxes, preparing the horses for training, feeding them, running a Pony Camp, groups of students for riding lessons ...
My internship supervisor was very nice to me, he explained everything I wanted to know and as he knew that I had never ridden a horse before, he gave me several hours of riding at the end of the my internship to thank me for my work. As the center is placed on a small island off the coast of Cork and there is a beach, we even went swimming with the horses which was an experience I will never forget in my life!
During the four weeks, every weekend I saw my friends and we visited all of Cork City. Then after the internship my family arrived and I was able to visit many other towns in Ireland with them. Thanks to this mobility I discovered that I like working with animals and that I prefer the practical to the theoretical.
I will try to do another internship next year to see if these are things that I could do for a living.Finally, I would highly recommend the Erasmus program to other students, not only for working abroad, but also because you learn to have your own responsibilities with parents far from you.
Teresa Aguilar, 1ere STAV Mixte
I was able to complete my ERASMUS internship thanks to the help of my English teacher, M Hup. My internship took place in a landscaping company in Ireland. I learned a lot and on a personal level I now know that English is a language that I really appreciate and that I am able to carry on a full conversation, on a variety of subjects. I will reinvest what I have discovered in my future job. And thanks to my professional internship abroad, I think I correspond more to the profiles that schools are looking for which will lead me towards my future project.
Apolline Leroux, 1ere STAV Mixte
During my Eramsus internship in Ireland, we were well accommodated, we had two bedrooms and a shower for us, we ate very well and the family mother prepared a picnic for us every morning for our internship, we were three girls for our professional internship abroad. Our host family was great. I did my internship in a landscaping company. Our master was quite nice but we didn't see him very often because he was very busy but he left instructions for us to his assistant. I will recommend this great experience abroad, it allows you to improve your language level, make great professional encounters and discover a new culture.
Hind Zeiker, 1ere STAV Mixte
Thanks to my school and Mr. Hup, my high school international referent, I was able to take advantage of the Erasmus program. I chose Malta to improve my English first, but also to learn more about the professional environment I am destined for: horses. My internship took place in June 2019 in the town of Naxxar in the east of the island of Malta. My first day of internship. I met Paulo and Stéphanie there, the couple who owns the pony club. Their equestrian center is in the form of a terrace and every day a different activity awaited me.
I learned a lot from this professional internship in Malta and in particular that the climate plays an essential role in the work, With 35 degrees, the horses can suffer which is why I greased the legs of the horses with oil because in Malta not only the temperature is hot but there is also a dry soil which therefore makes the horses' hooves dry. I also showered them to refresh them. I recommend this kind of experience because I have gained confidence in a foreign language and autonomy at work.
Kenza Laurancin, 1ère STAV Production
The internship organization went well, Mr. Hup, my English teacher, helped me a lot with its realization. After a selection interview with my CV and cover letter to show my motivation and my level in English, I received 80% of the amount of my Erasmus grant before my departure and 20% on my return. My obligations being to take a language test before and after my departure on the internet, to complete a file by returning the administrative documents associated with it to Mr. Hup. All the people concerned by my Erasmus internship signed an internship agreement, a financial contract and an educational contract, including myself. That's good, it's framed like that. For local transport we had a bus card which also helped us a lot, whether for the course or for leisure. The family who welcomed us was very kind to us and took very good care of us, they gave us advice and we talked a lot about our countries. I didn't really have any concerns about this mobility, I told myself that I would manage no matter what and my only fear was possibly the duration of a month but everything went very quickly. did my internship in a landscape company with other classmates in my class, I tidied up waste as part of a policy of recycling and environmental protection, painting on wood, weeding, storage of plants, and I even followed the construction of a wooden and concrete palisade for the landscaped masonry part.
I personally and professionally learned a lot about Ireland, about Irish culture (visit to Blarney Castle and its incredible gardens) and about the traditions there. I have also improved a lot in listening to the English language and I think I can express myself a little better.Finally, I will obviously recommend an Erasmus to other students because it is a very enriching experience.
Karl Ringelstein, 1ere STAV Mixte
For my internship in Ireland it was my English teacher, Mr Hup, who brought me to my internship at a poultry farm in the town of Kilrush. I was with other Austrian trainees who had also chosen to be part of the Erasmus program. I participated in the work on the farm. I took care of the various steps from collecting the eggs to packing them. I also took care of the maintenance of the henhouses, the fences, the food, the care of the animals.…
During the weekends I was able to visit various cities like Galway and Cork. I also had the chance to discover the Connemara region.Thanks to this mobility I was able to improve my English and learn professional vocabulary but I also discovered another way of life and work. In addition, I have made many meetings and had a good time.
This internship has served me a lot; I will be able to reuse everything I learned in Ireland on other farms. But this internship is also important in the drafting of my technological file which will count for my b tech. I advise students to participate in the Erasmus program because it is a superb professional experience that allows you to learn and enrich your vocabulary but also a great human experience, because we meet lots of people who enrich us with their knowledge, their personality. and their way of life.
Adèle Dauviau, 1ere STAV Production
These testimonies clearly show the diversity of professional situations encountered during the mobility carried out by learners, which echo the different professions taught at tSt Germain en Laye high school. The European adventure will continue during this second year of the 2019-2020 project, with new mobility towards new European adventures. In turn, future travelers will share their experiences…
C Hup, international cooperation referent for SGL
