We took part in the first meeting of a long-term international project focusing on children’s rights. What makes this project unique is its creative and interactive approach: the topic is explored through escape rooms. The main goal is to develop playful learning tools that help children better understand and experience their own rights.
Participants from the Zeyk Domokos Technological High School in Cristuru Secuiesc included two teachers and two students (Nagy Borbála-Zsuzsánna, teacher; Lukács Réka, teacher; Egyed Zsolt, student; Ilyés Szabolcs-Levente, student, along with Máté Isztojka, a staff member of ATA). During the five-day meeting, we gained not only valuable professional experience but also many shared memories.
The project brings together six partner countries: Romania, Slovakia, Portugal, Italy, Lithuania, and Hungary. The first international meeting took place in Italy, in the beautiful coastal Tuscan city of Viareggio, between March 16 and 20. The program was organized by the Italian partner, IAL Innovazione Apprendimento Lavoro Toscana.
One of the highlights of the meeting was testing the escape rooms: we had the opportunity to try ten different creative and informative rooms. These were not only entertaining but also served a strong educational purpose. They presented children’s rights in a way that is easy to understand and engaging for young people. Special emphasis was placed on cultural diversity, inclusion, and awareness-raising, particularly regarding situations that not all children encounter—such as the everyday lives of people with disabilities or the challenges faced by children from different social backgrounds.
Here is a short reflection from one of the teachers of the Zeyk Domokos Technological High School:
“I had a great time during the Erasmus+ project. As a beginner teacher, it was a great honor for me to participate in this program. Our topic was the right to identity, which we explored through the creation of an escape room.
We had the chance to test our escape room during the meeting in Italy, and it was very successful. We received positive feedback from experts, and two of our tasks performed exceptionally well.
I am very happy that our creativity, organization, and adaptability proved strong even in an international environment. I am proud of our students, who are open to development, and I am grateful for this opportunity. I hope we will have many more similar experiences in the future.”
Réka Lukács
German teacher
In addition to the professional program, we also had the opportunity to explore the cultural heritage of Tuscany. We visited Florence, where we took part in a discovery-based city activity. Divided into teams, we explored the historic city center while learning about its most important landmarks. The program was followed by a shared lunch and a visit to a special exhibition in a former orphanage, which deeply moved all of us by presenting the stories of the children who once lived there.
On the final day, we evaluated our experiences together and shared ideas and suggestions that will contribute to the further development of the project.
On our way home, we also visited the city of Pisa, where we admired the famous Leaning Tower, closing our journey with a truly memorable experience.
This meeting was not only professionally valuable but also an important community experience. We returned home with new ideas, inspiration, and connections, ready for the next steps of the project.
