Since 2011, the Department of Education and Learning / University of Teacher Education (DFA/ASP) has been promoting an international mobility programme in an educational context abroad as part of Switzerland's exchange and mobility policy in education. Initially active until 2015 under the name “Internships in international school contexts”, the programme has been relaunched in a new form for the 2022/23 academic year under the title “Experiencing school elsewhere”. The two-month internships are organised in collaboration with numerous partners, including educational and teacher training institutions and non-governmental organisations. Destinations for the 2024-2025 edition include Costa Rica, Kenya, Togo and Ghana.
Lorenza, what does the ‘Vivere la scuola altrove’ (Experience school elsewhere) mobility programme involve?
The training programme ‘Living school elsewhere’ is divided into three main phases. In the preparatory phase, trainee teachers address issues related to the development of intercultural skills, comparative analysis of school systems and educational values in different socio-cultural contexts, and intercultural communication. This phase also includes discussions with people who have already participated in similar experiences, with the aim of promoting critical and informed reflection. Subsequently, during the field experience phase, participants are welcomed by local professionals who accompany them during their experience in the field. Internships may take place in educational institutions or socialisation, support and training centres for people living in marginalised contexts, such as refugee camps. Finally, upon return, there is a concluding phase of reflection and re-elaboration of the experience through a collective review meeting, an individual interview and a public presentation for first-year students. Certification of the module is based on an individual interview and the presentation of a multimedia product, in which participants are invited to narrate and critically analyse a critical element or significant episode related to their experience during the internship.
What specific activities do students find themselves doing during these two months of internship?
In addition to observing the local context, participants are involved in a variety of activities tailored to the specific characteristics and emerging needs of the host community. These include interacting with students, families, teachers, educators and other actors in the education system; designing and conducting educational activities and/or courses in collaboration with local partners; participation in additional educational or social initiatives, depending on the characteristics and opportunities of the context; data collection to support the development of the Bachelor's thesis, which participants may decide to focus on their internship experience; visits, if possible, to teacher training institutions; and finally, cultural and tourist activities in the host country, depending on the time available.
What specific additional skills can you help develop or strengthen?
The programme aims to promote a reflective and conscious attitude among trainee teachers, encouraging critical analysis of their professional practice and the evolution of their teaching identity from an intercultural perspective. In addition, if students decide to link their thesis work to their experience abroad, the research activity represents a further opportunity to explore relevant issues in relation to their professional experience in a different context. The training module also aims to foster specific skills, such as the ability to recognise and rework cultural elements in teaching design within educational contexts other than those to which one is accustomed, thus promoting responsible and respectful adaptation to local specificities.
Interpersonal and communication skills are also valued, including collaboration with local colleagues, the appropriate use of languages and the presentation of one's ideas in accordance with professional ethics. In this context, the ability to argue, engage in critical discussion and communicate in a manner appropriate to the context is a further central component of the training process.
What kind of feedback has the programme received over the years?
Since 2011, 44 participants have taken part in the programme. Almost all of them reported that they found the experience extremely positive, although not without challenges and critical issues. The majority reported that the experience had a transformative impact on their personal and professional development. The oral presentations and multimedia products produced at the end of the module bear witness to this experience, highlighting, alongside critical reflections, frequent expressions of gratitude, enthusiasm and satisfaction.
The difficulties encountered were overcome thanks to the willingness and flexibility shown by the participants and the solid partnerships established with local partners. In several cases, the critical issues that emerged provided an opportunity for training and shared reflection. The most frequently reported issues concerned the emotional impact of exposure to living conditions and educational practices characterised by profound social inequalities and injustices, the management of unforeseen events, which sometimes had significant operational repercussions, difficulties in adapting to less comfortable living standards than those to which they were accustomed, and misunderstandings related to communication habits and different interpretations of relational codes. As highlighted by one student in the most recent edition, the transformative value of the experience is summed up in the statement: “This experience has allowed me to understand what kind of person and teacher I want to be.”
Mobility is considered an enrichment in an individual's personal life. What added value does it bring to the teaching profession?
Mobility experiences promote the acquisition of critical awareness of one's own cultural references and enable the understanding and appreciation of different educational perspectives. This process contributes to the development of openness, empathy and respect for otherness, which are essential skills for working in increasingly diverse school contexts. Furthermore, dealing with unexpected situations, unfamiliar environments and different organisational constraints strengthens the ability to adapt to new working conditions, manage uncertainty and find creative solutions to the increasingly complex issues facing the world of education today.
Can you tell us about your experiences of mobility during your education?
It was 2008, and I remember that my main motivation was to learn more about the world, so I decided to spend a year volunteering in Nicaragua as a development worker with the Inter-Agire international cooperation association in Bellinzona, which is now part of the national NGO Comundo. In reality, I believe that it was mainly thanks to this experience that I got to know myself better, which I now recognise as one of the prerequisites for feeling better in the world. It is still one of the most important experiences of my life, and I still feel a deep sense of gratitude towards those who made it possible and those who welcomed me so far from home, as do the students who return from their internships. This experience allowed me to distance myself from a life I thought I knew and discover another, into which I slipped surprisingly naturally and which enveloped me like a second skin. “¡Parece Nica!” (You look like a Nicaraguan!) – my colleagues and friends in Nicaragua used to say to me! After a year as a Nicaraguan, I returned to Ticino, and although 17 years have passed, it always makes me happy to be able to allow others to have a similar experience.
Last but not least, it is also thanks to this experience that I place great value on preparation before leaving for an experience abroad, especially if it involves a period of professional practice. In my opinion, the connection with certain guiding principles and support in reviewing the experience allow for more solid and profound personal and professional development.
What did you gain from this experience?
In addition to forging links with people who live in other parts of the world, this experience has helped me to realise that behind people's behaviour there is often an unknown world that must be respected and understood before judging. Today, I am more aware that I have access to diverse cultural and linguistic repertoires, which allow me to integrate into unfamiliar contexts and find common ground with other people, even when their cultural and linguistic references are far removed from my own.
What advice would you give to a student who is considering participating in a mobility programme?
Absolutely go for it!!!