The three-week ValiDE student exchange between the University of Education Weingarten (Germany), the University of Agder/Kristiansand (Norway) and the University of the Commission for National Education in Krakow (Poland) took place from the end of September to the beginning of October. The group of students visited each other for a week at each location, where international encounters, an examination of their own values and insights into schools in the respective countries took place and joint teaching material on the subject of democracy values education was created.

The exchange began in Kielce, Poland, where the students got to know each other in team-building workshops and by visiting intercultural locations, where they were able to discuss their personal values. During a visit to the Schindler Museum, the students explored our history and social values in an impressive workshop. The school visit also impressed the students due to the pupils' commitment to getting involved in shaping everyday school life.

In Norway, the participants not only got to grips with the Norwegian school system, but also saw for themselves how democracy education and values education are implemented during an interesting school visit. A workshop by the NGO Arkivet on the topic of human rights and peace also offered inspiring insights into our history and the underlying values.

Finally, stimulating interreligious workshops were offered in Germany, such as a visit to a mosque or a discussion on interreligious learning. They also gained an inspiring insight into the practical implementation of democratic educational principles for their own teaching profession during a visit to a Global Ethics School in Tübingen.

The ValiDE project is not only an exchange program, but an opportunity to expand one's own cultural boundaries, to deal with relevant topics of our time and to become part of a community that wants to shape a better world through democracy education and values education. This exchange not only expands knowledge, but also leads to new friendships.