In general: - We wanted to develop the personality of our students, broaden their horizons and stimulate them to become well-informed, tolerant and culturally aware European citizens. For the students in Sports Sciences more specifically: - We wanted to achieve the curriculum goals set out by the government by having students acquire the motor skills necessary for winter and mountain sports in ideal learning conditions. - We wanted to achieve the personal development goals of this curriculum by having students participate in outdoor group activities and having them organise activities as well. For the students in Latin-Greek and Modern languages, taking Spanish courses, more specifically: - We wanted to expand our students' vocabulary and sharpen their active language skills by allowing them to experience a Spanish language immersion in optimal circumstances: in Spain and among locals.
Our school has cognitively strong students, but most of them grow up in a rural context and need to be stimulated to broaden their own living and learning situation. With their further studies and careers in mind, we need to challenge them in terms of independence, self-confidence, language skills, communication and ICT, health and exercise, European citizenship, etc. Our students are in need of inspiring teaching methods that increase their interest and absorptive capacity for knowledge. It is important that we allowe them to excel in their specific talents. More specifically, with this project, we wanted to give our students in Sports Sciences the opportunity to grow in sports that are difficult to take up in Belgium: for example, we do not have the facilities for practicing winter sports or getting used to their peripheral conditions (dealing with the cold, altitude, etc.), nor do we have the necessary expertise. In addition, we wished to offer our students in Latin-Greek and Modern Languages a Spanish language immersion to sharpen their active language skills, since there are few opportunities for Spanish conversations at school, where only one hour of Spanish classes per week is offered, or in the vicinity of the school.