Chalk Talk: Finnish students create connections through art at Boyne CS
Aishling Monaghan
Last week, Boyne Community School welcomed 12 students and two teachers from Helsingin Kuvataidelukio, an upper secondary Visual Arts school in Finland, as part of its Erasmus+ programme funded by the European Union and supported in Ireland by Leargas.
Over five days, the visiting students joined Trim’s 5th year Art and DCG/Transition Year students in a packed schedule of workshops and cultural visits. Highlights of the week included Home Economics classes, Woodwork, and collaborative Art workshops at the school. Students also had time to explore local heritage, visiting Newgrange and Trim Castle, before rounding off the week with a tour of Dublin’s IMMA Gallery.
Twelve Boyne students had been selected through an application and interview process to take part. Accompanying the Finnish group were Art Teacher Heikki Heinonen and Philosophy Teacher Hanna-Mari Vanhanen, who helped facilitate the workshops and cultural discussions. A group of Boyne Community School teachers will continue the connection with a job-shadowing visit to Finland in November, while the Trim students will travel there for a return exchange in April.
Reflecting on the week, Art Teacher Ms. Megan Maguire said:
"It was an absolutely amazing experience to see students from our school and Helsinki bond, sharing their thoughts, ideas, and experiences in life and education, while discussing the cultural differences and similarities amongst themselves. As the week went on, these connections deepened — you could see their confidence grow as they worked collaboratively and openly discussed art and culture, particularly during our visit to the IMMA museum in Dublin. It was a fantastic learning experience for all involved, made possible with the support of the staff at Boyne Community School and the visiting teachers from Finland."
The week ended with sad goodbyes on Friday, as the Finnish students said farewell to their new friends. The bonds formed during the exchange will endure, and it won’t be long until April, when the students from Boyne Community School in Trim travel to Finland to continue the Erasmus+ partnership.
To hear more, visit www.meathchronicle.ie/schools, where we interviewed some of the students participating in this exchange.