From 7 to 12 April 2025, the multicultural radio team, consisting of teenagers and their chaperones from the Les Francas Organization in France, the Technische Jugendfreizeit- und Bildungsgesellschaft (tjfbg) gGmbH Organization in Germany and the Radio Girls school group of the Neos Marmaras High School for European School Radio in Greece, participated in the second youth exchange within the framework of the European Creative Europe program entitled “Kids Radio Europe” (GAP 101136199/ CREA-CROSS-2023-MEDIA LITERACY) and was supported in parallel by the Deutsch-Griechisches Jugendwerk / Hellenic-German Youth Foundation
The exchange was part of the activities of the 9th Student Radio Festival, which took place in Sithonia, Halkidiki, but was preceded by activities in Thessaloniki, at the International Hellenic University/International University of Greece and on ERT3 exclusively for the youth exchange group from Europe.
In Thessaloniki, and live on European School Radio
The teams arrived in Thessaloniki on Monday, April 7, and began preparations for their first joint activity the next day at the International Hellenic University. The German group had the opportunity to taste local cuisine in a traditional restaurant, enriching the trip’s intercultural dimension.
On Tuesday, April 8, the groups met for the first time in the university’s dining area, shared breakfast, and launched directly into educational workshops. At the Department of Information and Electronic Engineering, the students split into Sound Engineers and Journalists, engaging in two experiential workshops focused on radio production. They prepared and broadcast their show live on European School Radio. For the Radio Girls, this was familiar ground, as they regularly produced broadcasts at their school and had previously participated in the university’s training program. As a result, they took on a coordinating role, assisting the French and German students, who were thrilled by the unique experience.
Their show, titled “Discover the World through Student Radio: 3 Reasons, 3 Countries, 9th Festival”, is available on European School Radio.
The afternoon included language games on the beach, a cultural bus tour, and a traditional dinner in central Thessaloniki. These activities strengthened the bonds among the participants and promoted cooperation and linguistic animation.
From ERT3 Studios to the Petralona Cave
Wednesday, April 9, began with a visit to the ERT3 Radio and TV studios of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation. The students observed the production of live and recorded programs and interviewed professional journalists, collecting valuable material on their portable recorders. The tour continued through the TV facilities, with special interest shown in the control room, where students saw how a news bulletin is aired.
Two students from Neos Marmaras even spoke live on the television show “Day with light” with Haris Arvanitidis and Elsa Poimenidou about their experiences and the festival they are organizing in their region. https://www.ertnews.gr/video/9o-festival-mathitikou-radiofonou-sti-sithonia-ena-megalo-radiofoniko-gegonos-pou-exei-ginei-thesmos/
Before heading to Sithonia for the festival, the teams visited the Petralona Cave, one of Greece’s most significant caves, renowned for its speleological, anthropological, paleontological, and archaeological value. The students marveled at the stalactites and stalagmites and visited the museum, where they viewed one of the oldest and best-preserved human skulls in Europe, as well as Paleolithic tools and animal fossils.
Festival in Sithonia: Radio, Music, and Communication in a Beautiful Natural Setting
Upon arrival at the hotel, the young radio producers met Joël Bronner, a correspondent for Radio France Internationale and he supported them during the journalism workshops. That evening, the festival’s welcome ceremony featured a DJ party, in which students from France and Germany actively participated. DJs FabLe (Germany) and Laura & Jade (France) energized the crowd with their music.
On Thursday, April 10, the program began on the football field of Porto Carras Grand Resort. The Kids Radio Europe team joined as “Enthic” in team-building games alongside the festival’s other 1,000 children. They were part of 26 mixed teams, each distinguished by a colored bracelet. They formed circles and took part in icebreaker games designed and adapted by European School Radio for this intercultural group. The field was filled with laughter and voices, as all the children, though on different teams, shared the common goal of creating a podcast during the festival. Later, in an outdoor journalism workshop, the students recorded, interviewed, and prepared a podcast based on their festival experience.
That afternoon, with the local hiking club of Neos Marmaras, the students hiked the trail to the Old Watermill and waterfall. They collected natural sounds and materials for a future podcast and enjoyed the scenic walk and the impressive waterfall.
Dinner was accompanied by live performances by student bands and the Tsepe Brothers, a famous band that amused the audience.
Journalistic Productions and Recognition
On Friday, April 11, the students participated in another journalism workshop with Joël Bronner, where they finalized their three-minute podcast and presented it to their Mentors.
The podcast is available on European School Radio.
All students contributed, whether through audio recordings or designing a creative group banner for their presentation.
In the afternoon, the Kids Radio Europe team visited the Porto Carras winery, enjoying another opportunity to explore the natural beauty of Sithonia. They learned about organic wine production, grape varieties, aging processes, and toured the bottling plant.
That evening, during the awards ceremony for the “Make It Heard” podcast contest, it was their moment to shine. Kids Radio Europe was recognized as Youth Radio Pioneers for their multilingual radio productions under the Creative Europe project. The recognition, though outside the contest itself, deeply encouraged the team to continue their work.
Song Awards Ceremony and Farewell Activities
On Saturday, April 12, the day began with language games, followed by the Song Awards Ceremony. The students enthusiastically watched musical performances by award-winning schoolchildren and last year’s winners of “Make It Heard 2024,” who presented the ceremony and performed their songs alongside songwriter Manolis Famellos, President of GEA.
Later, they attended the festival’s Closing Ceremony at the Neos Marmaras football field, playing a flag-chasing game among the teams. In the afternoon, they enjoyed a three-hour cruise in the Toroneos Gulf, taking photos with seagulls and wild goats, singing songs, and learning to count to ten in all three languages.
The program concluded with a reflective evaluation through discussions and games, and both students and chaperones completed a feedback questionnaire on the youth exchange. Throughout the festival, the students bonded through language activities, cultural and environmental excursions, active participation in radio workshops, and their collaboration with Joël Bronner, who shared valuable insights into radio reporting.
The final evening ended with a party at Neos Marmaras School and a promise: See you at the next youth exchange in Berlin!
