We've started the day on a musical note. On our first visit to Agrupamento de Escolas de Pinheiro, a group of students welcomed us with a concert. They have prepared several songs, some of them about the Carnation Revolution, to give us a first glimpse of the richness of Portuguese culture.

After that, some senior students gave us a fantastic tour of their school, showing us all the facilities, their small orchard or their common areas in which they  play some boardgames or entertain themselves inbetween exhausting classes.

After having lunch and getting some rest, we visited the Castro de Monte Mozinho. These ruins combine architecture and culture of peoples before the Roman Empire with typical Roman settlement constructions. After a really interesting tour, our students did a treasure hunt to discover more about this historical place.

To kick off the day, our group of students and teachers have attended a lecture on entrepreneurship focused on its social aspect. To introduce the topic, two experts have come: a representative member of ANJE, an association focused on helping young Portuguese entrepreneurs, and a woman who had previously worked with them and, thanks to this association, could publish a children's book on SDG. Both, English and Portuguese have been present in the speech, transforming the lecture into a melting pot of languages.

After that, continuing with this inclusive concept, students have gathered into four different groups; each containing all four nationalities. The purpose was to, first, do a brainstorming on problems their schools have and, once they found one in common, to create a business plan of a company or NGO that could, potentially, deal with it. This activity that will continue throughout the week is resulting in a presentation next Friday to sell their ideas. 

Finally, after some rest and lunch, there has been a cultural visit to Quinta de Aveleda; a wonderful vineyard with a magnificent garden full of astonishing flowers, centennial trees, goats, peacocks and, last but not least, historical and fairy architecture.

Today, students' journey to develop ideas into successful businesses or NGOs has achieved one more step by understanding and putting into practice digital marketing. An expert in the field along with the ANJE association have guided our students to acquire skills such as how to identify and get to know their target audience,  how to communicate ideas properly and how to use the appropriate channels for it.

This expert, a young business woman who owns her own marketing company, has developed marketing strategies such as "creating value for your offerings" or "embracing your singularity". Tools that, after a brief explanation, our students have put into practice by expanding the business or NGO they created yesterday. The last part of the session has consisted of  each group presenting their digital marketing strategy and receiving some feedback from the expert.

As one of the main objectives of this Erasmus project is to create strong bonds between students so they have the opportunity to meet other cultures, perspectives and beliefs, after a delicious lunch and a short break, our students have taken some time off.

They have had the freedom to visit some other beautiful locations in the area, such as Penafiel, or to do some sports with their partners. Either way, they have shared laughs and conversations with their European colleagues.

The week is ending, and so is our Erasmus+ group's stay in Portuguese lands. Today, the four groups in which all the students were divided into, each one of them containing all nationalities (Portuguese, Turkish, German and Spanish) have presented their project. Although all have worked really hard, there have been two winners: One for their excellent pitch and the other for the feasibility and impact of their project. Nonetheless, they all are taking home a wonderful experience, a week full of languages and experiences, the knowledge they have acquired throughout the whole week and, most importantly, new friends.

Once the formal and academic part has finished, all the groups have met in a house whose host was a member of the Portuguese Erasmus group to keep learning English the best way possible: Celebrating a party! One last afternoon full of laughs, jokes, music and a pool.