Students’ Visit to EU funded site in Dwejra

Cultural visit to showcase how EU funds are being used

During 2024, Servizzi Ewropej f’Malta is organising educational outings for secondary school students to cultural sites which have benefitted from EU funds. Through these visits, the students can understand better how EU funds are used for the preservation of our heritage, while appreciating and learning about our history and environment.

On April 19, a group of students from Gozo College Victoria Secondary School, visited the Marine Environmental Education Centre in Dwejra, Gozo. This innovative visitors centre first opened its doors in March 2013, through efforts by Prof. Alan Deidun and his team within the PANACEA project, which was funded within the ambit of the Italia-Malta 2007-2013 Operational Programme I. Apart from the Sicilian partners in the project, the other Maltese partner in the project was the San Lawrenz Local Council.

Situated a mere few metres from Dwejra’s inland sea, the Environmental Education Centre acts as the perfect accompaniment to a site of such natural complexity and interest. Dwejra has its own centre on location where anyone – divers, tourists, swimmers, children – can learn about what is special about Dwejra’s underwater landscape. The students had the opportunity to open up onto a colourful and interactive world, with lots of photography, information boards and 3D models, or dioramas, recreating specific underwater ecosystems.

Finally, the students were given a booklet prepared by SEM with a short quiz regarding the European Union and EU funds. In answering these questions, the students had the opportunity to reflect on the importance of EU funds and appreciate the benefits of such initiatives.