These are just a few examples of how our gatherings plant seeds for lasting connections.
One such story comes from the Sustainable Development Games at Montessori College in Nijmegen, The Netherlands – a week dedicated to sustainability in every sense of the word, leading to a friendship that now spans countries, school holidays, and even family pets…
In mid-April, the time had come: our daughter took part in the Sustainable Development Games at the Montessori College. It was a special week dedicated to sustainability – in the broadest sense of the word. Not only in terms of the environment and climate, but also in social connections and cultural exchange.
As part of this, we welcomed a student from Hannover, Germany into our home, who would be staying with us for a week. Exciting, of course. There had already been some contact via WhatsApp beforehand, which helped break the ice a little. On paper, they seemed like a good match – both being crazy about dogs, for example – and luckily, that turned out to be true in practice as well.
The first day was a little tentative, as is natural with new encounters. But they quickly got along. Communication went surprisingly smoothly, even though there were, of course, a few language barriers here and there. Still, they always found a way to understand each other – which made the experience all the more educational and fun.
The whole week revolved around sustainability. From joint projects to interactive games, it was an inspiring mix of learning, collaborating, and discovering each other’s habits. It was wonderful to see how, in just a few days, a real friendship developed.
And not just between the students – we as parents also had a great connection with the parents from Hannover. This even led to a sleepover for our daughter during the summer holidays. We hosted a cosy lunch, and even the dogs got to meet each other. And once again, it turned out to be a perfect match!
In short: in every way, it was a sustainable encounter – one that will hopefully last for a long time to come.
Photo: Following our GMG in 2023, an Italian family traveled to Cozumel to visit the Mexican students who had stayed with them during the Games.