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In December 2025, the city of Piraeus and Athens became our meeting point for our international learning mobility within the Erasmus plus project SHOOT Students Have Optimal Opportunities Together. From 15 to 19 December, students, teachers, and partner organisations from five European countries gathered in Greece for an intensive programme combining digital storytelling, photography, active citizenship education, and project coordination activities. The mobility was hosted by the 3rd Gymnasium of Nikaia and brought together education with culture, creativity, and European cooperation.
The student mobility was designed as an immersive educational experience that placed young people at the centre of learning. From the very first day of activities, students were introduced to the aims of the SHOOT project and to the role of digital photography and storytelling as tools for civic participation and democratic engagement. Following a warm welcome at the host school, participants took part in ice breaking activities that fostered trust, collaboration, and intercultural dialogue. These sessions helped students from different countries quickly form mixed international groups, creating an open and supportive learning environment.
A strong thematic focus of the mobility was active citizenship and democracy. Through interactive workshops, students explored what participation means in their everyday lives and how young people can actively shape their communities. These reflections were closely linked to the broader SHOOT methodology, which encourages learners to express social and civic topics through visual narratives. Photography was introduced not only as a technical skill, but as a language for storytelling, reflection, and social awareness. Students learned how to create meaningful images and how to connect visual content with personal and collective stories.
Cultural exploration played an equally important role in the programme. A full thematic day was dedicated to discovering the historical roots of democracy in Athens. Students visited the Pnyx Hill, the place where citizens gathered in ancient times to debate and make collective decisions. This visit offered a powerful connection between history and the present, allowing participants to reflect on democratic values in their original context. The day continued with a visit to the Acropolis Museum, where students explored cultural heritage through guided observation and discussion, linking ancient history with contemporary identity and citizenship.
Creativity and digital skills were further developed during workshops hosted at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre. Here, students participated in a creative session on graphic novels and visual narration, discovering how images and stories can be combined to communicate complex ideas. The experience was complemented by an outdoor photo session inspired by the concept of the ancient agora as a public space for dialogue. Back at the host school, students worked on digital image editing, gaining practical skills that allowed them to refine their photographs and prepare them for storytelling outputs.
The final day of the student programme focused on storytelling and presentation. Students and teachers took part in parallel workshops, addressing both creative production and classroom implementation. Young participants worked on boosting their stories and assembling group narratives, while teachers explored practical approaches to storytelling in education. The mobility concluded with group presentations of the students digital stories, showcasing their learning journey, creative development, and reflections on citizenship, culture, and participation. A certificate ceremony marked the end of the mobility, celebrating the commitment and achievements of all participants.
Alongside the student activities, a transnational partners meeting took place in Athens, bringing together representatives of all consortium organisations. This meeting focused on project coordination, quality assurance, dissemination, and the planning of upcoming activities. Partners reviewed the progress achieved so far, including the implementation of online webinars and the initial outcomes of the SHOOT methodology. Particular attention was given to ensuring alignment with the project application and to maintaining high quality standards across all work packages.
Discussions addressed the next steps of the project, including school based activities, peer to peer sessions, and the collection of student outputs such as stories, photographs, and videos. Risk management and mitigation strategies were also reviewed, with partners agreeing on corrective measures to address challenges related to dissemination timelines and participation levels. Quality assurance results were presented, highlighting lessons learned and defining future monitoring milestones.
The second day of the partners meeting focused on management, financial administration, and dissemination. Partners exchanged best practices for communication and outreach, reinforcing the importance of visibility and impact at local, national, and European levels. The meeting concluded with a clear roadmap for the coming months and a shared commitment to delivering meaningful educational outcomes through the SHOOT project.
The Greece mobility demonstrated the added value of transnational cooperation in education. By combining student centred learning with strong project coordination, the mobility strengthened both pedagogical innovation and partnership cohesion. The experience in Piraeus and Athens confirmed the power of digital storytelling and photography as tools for engagement, reflection, and active citizenship, while reinforcing the shared European values at the heart of the Erasmus plus programme.