By Volker Löschhorn, Camp Coordinator

In September 2024, the 3rd German-Polish Balloon School Exchange “Mystery of the Wind” took place in Grudziądz, Poland. Thirty students, 15 each from Germany and Poland, had the opportunity to learn about ballooning and the special importance of wind for flights.This exchange is supported by the German-Polish Youth Office through the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) funding program. And of course, it's not just about ballooning. Workshops and activities as part of language animation for team building are an important part of the program.

Taking off

The Balloon School Exchange takes place alternately at different locations in Poland and Germany. Thanks to the cooperation with the local balloon club, Grudziądzki Klub Balonowy, we had optimal conditions for our workshops and lessons in their great facilities. And of course, also for the balloon flights in the beautiful landscape of the Vistula around Grudziądz.

Flying over Grudziądz

We try to implement our workshops with simple means, and to establish a connection to ballooning. Everyone had a lot of fun in a competition in which the aim was to hit a target cross in the courtyard from the second floor.

The aim of this exchange is not only to conduct the exchange itself, but also to set an example of how to get young people interested in STEM through ballooning. That is why we also share our experiments on our homepage Experiments so that others have ideas for their own activities.  We also publish information for teachers about our exchange, for example in the brochure Austausch macht Schule.

Filling the water rocket!

Looking forward, next year we hope to return to Bitterfeld-Wolfen, where we will have the opportunity to fly not only in a hot-air balloon but also in a gas balloon.

Header image shows campers filling the balloon with cold air on the banks of the Vistula