Agen, 22^nd March 2019. Thanks to the well-functioning twinning agreement between Dinslaken and Agen, it was not difficult for Jonathan to find a suitable work placement and an accommodation. In the Collège Joseph Chaumié he could get to know the different jobs there are at a school apart from the teacher’s job. Thus in the morning he regularly helped in the secretary’s office and in the afternoon he could work in other school sectors, as for example the CDI or the loge, a kind of entrance control. In his report he comes to the following personal conclusion, “I have learned how the working world functions. By this stay abroad I could prove my autonomy and this has also encouraged me. (…) You collect experiences in another country about another country. You improve a lot in understanding and speaking the foreign language. Moreover, a work placement abroad pays well in your curriculum vitae. It was great and I would do it again any time.”

Roost-Warendin, 16th March 2019. With this card the pupils of the Collège Dr Schaffner in Roost-Warendin (Belgium) thank the Elena Bless Foundation for taking over the expenses for a tour to Belgium. There the class met a group of pupils of the Alexander-Lebenstein Secondary Modern School from the twin town Haltern am See. An exciting and interesting experience for the about 20 pupils per group.

Haltern am See, 17^th February 2019. In the year 2018 the Elena Bless Foundation spent a total of € 14895.50 (in the previous year € 14107.10) for the promotion of work placements abroad for pupils as well as for student exchange projects. Thereby € 10908 (in the previous year € 11047) fell upon work placements abroad. 29 pupils (in the previous year 24) completed a professional practical training abroad with scholarships of the Elena Bless Foundation.

Saalbach, 7th February 2019. Dan and Emma found an exceptional and highly interesting work placement with the Saalbach mountain railways in Austria in the middle of a region with 70 ski lifts, 1200 snow guns, and 40000 daily visitors. Here they got to know the different fields of work being part of operating a mountain railway: machine room, pay desk selling ski passes, ticket control, preparing the ski slopes with the help of a 580 HP-strong snow cat, controlling the condition of the slopes and of course snow removal by use of muscular strength. With sunshine and perfect slopes the two of them were of course allowed to go skiing in their free time on some days. “We exceedingly appreciate having had such a great week and having collected so many new experiences”, they write at the end of their fantastically illustrated report on their work placement.