At the beginning of May, a group of students from Veszprémi Szakképzési Centrum Ipari Technikum in Hungary came to Rzeszów for a two-week stay as part of the Erasmus+ VET programme. They study chemistry and environmental protection, and the idea of the visit was simple: to see how the topics they learn about at school work in real life.
Rather than focusing on just one place, we tried to show them different environments where these issues play an important role. One day they visited the MPWiK wastewater treatment plant, learning how a large city manages and treats its water. Another visit took them to the PGE thermal waste treatment plant with energy recovery, where they could see how modern infrastructure deals with waste. There was also time at the Podkarpackie Science Centre “Łukasiewicz”, a space where science can be explored in a more experimental and interactive way.
The programme also included a meeting with students from Zespół Szkół nr 3 in Rzeszów, who are studying in similar fields. It was a good opportunity to compare experiences and get a sense of how vocational education works in Poland.
Alongside the study visits, there was time for more everyday moments – language workshops, conversations, and getting to know the city itself. Between the different activities, the group explored Rzeszów, and also travelled to Kraków and Łańcut, discovering a bit more of the region beyond the educational programme.
Two weeks passed quickly, but they left behind new experiences, conversations, and a slightly different perspective on how environmental topics function outside the classroom.
The project was funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ programme.
