21st May 2018
This year Europe Direct Information Centre North Highlands & Islands (EDIC), in participation with North Highland College UHI (NHC) welcomed local Primary 7 pupils to a celebration of Europe Day.
Pupils from Pennyland Primary, Newton Park and Melvich Primary participated in a variety of European themed activities including European cookery demonstration and tasting session, a treasure hunt based on European flags and interactions with staff and students from the Environmental Research Institute (ERI) to hear some interesting facts and life events based on their own home countries which included France, Germany and Italy.
Speaking after the event, Trudy Morris, Chief Executive of Caithness Chamber of Commerce which manages EDIC, said:
“Europe Day is all about celebrating European peace and unity, and it was a good opportunity to remind ourselves that – whatever the Brexit discussions may bring – we have a long history with Europe and the EU and that maintaining this relationship brings not just economic but cultural and social benefits as well.
“It was great to see the pupils so engaged and enthusiastic, and they were full of fascinating questions for the staff from ERI. We hope that the day’s activities will have a long-term impact and inspire them to broaden their horizons and explore all the opportunities that life has to offer.”
Lilian Wark, Head Teacher at Newton Park Primary, said:
“This was a great learning experience for the pupils. They really enjoyed their morning and found the experience very interesting, particularly learning about and trying the different European foods.”
Barbara Bremner, Project Manager at the ERI, said: “It was an excellent and enjoyable opportunity to share our European culture with young pupils. Europe is such a blend of culture and creativity that sharing it can only enrich us for the best. It was a delight to see how well the pupils responded, their interest and motivation, not only to the food tasting but also through discussion and interaction with European staff.”