During the past months, students from BFSdual M1 at the Walter-Gropius-Schule in Hildesheim took part in an international project together with partner schools in Italy and Finland. The project served as a pilot initiative within the Genuss/Gusto network of the ConnActions project, which is supported by the German-Italian Chamber of Commerce and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (Bundesministerium für Bildung, Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend).
The project was primarily a collaboration between students in Germany and Italy, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities on both sides. As part of an already planned group mobility involving our partner school Novida in Loimaa (Finland), Finnish students were also able to contribute to selected aspects of the project. Students from our partner school APOLF in Pavia (Italy), produced and packaged traditional cookies. Based on this product, our students were commissioned to develop suitable packaging concepts and designs. The project followed a realistic client-agency approach, allowing students to experience authentic design processes and international cooperation.
To prepare the collaboration, two online meetings were organised. The first video conference focused on the project briefing, during which the Italian teachers presented their product and explained their expectations for the packaging designs. A second online meeting gave the students the opportunity to get to know each other, exchange ideas and learn more about their respective schools and countries.
A special highlight of the project was the visit of students from Novida in Loimaa, Finland. During their one-week stay in Hildesheim, the Finnish students documented the project by producing professional product photographs and filming a making-of video. Their work provided valuable insights into the creative process and added an additional media production perspective to the project.
Throughout the project, our students worked independently in small teams, taking responsibility for research, idea development, communication and design decisions. This approach reflects the principles of action-oriented learning and mirrors professional workflows in the creative industry.
Like many international projects, this cooperation also presented challenges. Different educational approaches and expectations sometimes led to misunderstandings regarding tasks and responsibilities. Communication across countries required patience and flexibility, especially when project details needed clarification. In addition, not all participating teachers were able to communicate confidently in English, which occasionally made coordination more complex. However, these challenges became valuable learning opportunities and helped all participants develop their communication, problem-solving and intercultural skills.
Despite these obstacles, the project successfully demonstrated how international collaboration can enrich learning experiences. Students not only strengthened their professional competencies in design, media production and project management but also gained important experience in working with partners from different cultural and educational backgrounds.
We would like to thank all students and teachers from APOLF in Pavia and Noida in Loimaa for their commitment, creativity and cooperation. We look forward to future international projects and continued collaboration across Europe.
Blog posts by our German students
(written in German)
- Vom Entwurf zum Prototypen
- Wenn der Unterricht international wird – Briefing unseres Keks-Projekts
- Zusammenarbeit mit den finnischen Schülerinnen
- Verknüpfung zwischen Theorie und Praxis, zwischen Unterrichtsinhalten und realem Projekt
- Videokonferenz mit italienischen Schüler*innen
Gallery: Product photos and documentation – taken by the Finnish students
