8560 km! That is the distance that the participants Erasmus+ project “Let’s learn from one another!” traversed in order to get to Klaipėda from Finland, Turkey, Hungary, Portugal and Greece. On February 19-25th the Klaipėda Lyceum team – project coordinator L. Šmaižienė, nature sciences and biology teachers I. Navickaitė and E. Jonikaitė, as well the school administrator A. Ivanovienė and psychology teacher R. Saveljeva, and IT teacher L. Vaitkūnas – carried out the C5 mobility programme “The Baltic sea – so much to see!”. Teachers got to familiarise themselves with the Baltic sea coastline (the water, various sand layers, seaweed, rocks, ember, potential remnants of mollusks and plants), created their own version of the Baltic Sea in a glass container with samples they had gathered on the beach. The students learned the basics of microbiology lab work: they learned to use agarose culture media, spread plate and membrane filtration methods of inoculating various microorganisms (bacteria), how to use an electronic pipette and how to incubate microorganisms.
G. Trakytė and M. Šiaulytė from IB DP class, shared their Extended Essay results. They involved the participants of the project in experiments, during which the students explored the growth of bacteria and fungi. The participating students also acquainted themselves with the DFDS business of logistics, the intricacies of navy businessess, the transportation of cargo and passengers through and between the North and the Baltic seas. The project participants, having seen the Baltic sea from the pier, made their way to Dumpiai to acquaint themselves with the technologies of water filtration. The students found out that water is first cleaned mechanically and then through biological cleaning processes (with the help of microorganisms) there.
The students also found out more about the biotechnological potential of microorganisms, the methods of research of natural formations and their products that have the largest potential on the market in KU Institute of Marine Research. The participants also acquainted themselves with the various methods of monitoring the quality of water in bathing places, and found out which microorganisms are used to determine the indicators of poor, moderate and high quality of water.
The participants of the project also visited the Castle museum – found out about its history and its exhibits – went to the Curonian Spit – a UNESCO World sand formation heritage). During the fifth meeting the participants of the C5 project went to the Lithuanian Marine Museum, participated in educational activities “The Baltic sea 2050. Dystopia or a Reality?”, found out more about the microplastics pollution of the sea, created their own social advocacy campaigns, visited the aquarium’s backstage where they found out about the filtration processes necessary to prepare Baltic sea water for appropriate living conditions of exotic fish.
We wish to thank our IInd secondary-school grade students:
Aleksandra Selezniovaitė, Kristupas Vekteris, Liudvikas Kazlauskas, Džiugas Kurlys, Laura Žyliūtė, Rapolas Žygus, Rapolas Pleskovas, Dangė Lygnugarytė, Emilijus Latakas, Beatričė Gusiatina, Faustas Stadalninkas, Modestas Jučas, Šarūnė Bylaitytė, Švitrė Bylaitytė, Tauras Kemundris, Lukrecija Statkevičiūtė, Rytis Chockevičius,
And their families for genuine care and aid in the process of carrying out the Erasmus+ project in Lithuania.
We wish to thank our social partners:
DFDS Seaways, KU Institute of Marine Research, Lithuania Marine Museum, Klaipėda water
For genuine attentiveness and informative educational activities.