Categoria: Schools

STARLIGHT meets the European Commission and Euromontana

Meetings, Schools

On 12th and 13th December 2024, in Bruxelles, a delegation of the STARLIGHT project had fruitful meetings with representatives of the European Commission and Euromontana (European Association of Mountain Areas)

Great experience during our last (online and onsite) Starlight project meeting in Brussels at the Cantabrian Representation: On 12th December we presented the Starlight project results to Mrs Maria-Christina Makrandreou and Mr Gonzalo Hernando from the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) of the European Commission. We handed over the “Call for Action” as an outcome of the Spanish Summer School where the Starlight project participants called for more opportunities top work together in formats like the Summer Schools for rural development. Special thanks to Maria-Christina and Gonzalo for their great advice and engagement.

On 13th December we met Mrs Blandine Camus from Euromontana, the European multi-stakeholder network for sustainable development and quality of life in the mountains. We presented to her the final results of the Starlight project including opportunities coming from astrotourism and discussed several opportunities arising from the results. We handed over to her the “Call for Action” from the Spanish Summer School. Thank you, Blandine, for your ideas including your offer to spread our results to the network members and all your inspiration for future projects!

Left to right: Carlos Fernández Martínez (Fundacion Camino Lebaniego), Johanna Leissner (Kultur und Arbeit e. V.), Daniele Gardiol INAF – Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino , Maria-Christina Makrandreou (DG AGRI), Gonzalo Hernandez (DG AGRI), Karin Drda-Kühn (Kultur und Arbeit e. V.).
Left to right: Carlos Fernández Martínez (Fundacion Camino Lebaniego), Daniele Gardiol INAF – Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino, Blandine Camus (Euromontana), Karin Drda-Kühn (Kultur und Arbeit e. V.).

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The STARLIGHT Spring School

Schools

The STARLIGHT Spring School was held in Pragelato, Italy, from 15th to 19th April 2024

The second School of the STARLIGHT project was held in Pragelato, Italy, from 15th to 19th April 2024. During the week, the fourteen STARLIGHT participants, hosted by the two Italian partners of the project, i.e. GAL EVV and INAF, not only learned about experiential tourism and territorial marketing, but they also put into practice their theoretical knowledge through the creation of an Experience Box.

Indeed, after discovering the village of Pragelato and its surroundings, e.g. Usseaux, Pomaretto, and Fenestrelle, the STARLIGHT participants had the chance to meet with experts and local stakeholders in order to develop an Experience Box consisting of three tour packages specifically designed for the territory of the Chisone Valley.

In particular, the STARLIGHT participants, divided into three groups, created three tourism experiences deeply linked to the territory, namely In Search of the Dahu, a scavenger hunt through the streets of Pragelato and the towns nearby, Night & Natura, a guided hike to Pian dell’Alpe to rediscover our sense of belonging to nature through local myths and legends, and Daherbs, a guided walk in search of the wild edible herbs of the valley with a final stargazing session.

In the true spirit of the Erasmus+ STARLIGHT project, the three experience packages of the Dahu-themed Experience Box are not only meant to enhance the local territory, history, and legends, but also to attract tourists and to allow them to reconnect with nature, away from the chaos and the light pollution of the city.

On the last day of the STARLIGHT Spring School, the participants also had the chance to present their Experience Box at the final multiplier event, hosted by Confcooperative Piemonte and with the participation of  Turismo Torino e Provincia, Infini.to – Planetarium of Turin, Museum of Astronomy and Space, and CTC Turismo Cooperativo. On this occasion, all of the materials designed by the STARLIGHT participants during the week, from reels to videos and playlists, were shown to the local stakeholders as part of the presentation of their experience packages.

The STARLIGHT Spring School_Press Release