At the Education Center of the Osijek City Red Cross in Orahovica, a three-day professional training session was held as part of the TRACE.hr – A Story in Your Hands project. The event brought together 13 participants in person: teachers, volunteers, and enthusiasts of creative education. Some colleagues also joined online, presenting the work of their students from schools and libraries across Croatia.
Located on the slopes of Papuk, the education center proved to be an ideal place for exchanging experiences, new ideas, and engaging in meaningful discussions on how to transform local stories into lively and inspiring content for children. That nature here is more than just a backdrop was confirmed by the deer curiously peeking along the roadside — as if they too wanted to become part of a new legend.
More about the project on https://www.petit-philosophy.com/en-tracehr
Workshops, Experiences, and Ideas
Through workshops and presentations, participants showcased their approaches to collecting and processing stories with their students, from small schools with just a handful of pupils to larger institutions with more extensive programs. Together, they created an inspiring range of practical examples of how the project can be implemented. Ideas “leapt” out of the workshops faster than deer from Papuk, each one a wonderful opportunity for exchanging experiences and encouraging a creative approach to working with children.
An Excursion to Ružica Grad — Where Stone Preserves Legend
The final day of the seminar was marked by a hike to Ružica Grad, a preserved medieval fortress in Slavonia, located in the northeastern part of Papuk Nature Park, above Lake Orahovica. The forest trail, about 800 meters long, led participants through a landscape where snowdrops and violets heralded the arrival of spring, while woodpeckers kept rhythm with their steps toward the summit. Beneath the walls that have withstood centuries, legends came to life. One tells of fairies who once dwelled there, while another speaks of the brave Princess Ružica who, unwilling to surrender the fortress to the enemy, chose sacrifice over submission. It is said that after her death, red roses grew from the ground, giving the fortress its name. The ascent to the fortress was a symbolic conclusion to the seminar — a reminder that stories are everywhere around us, woven into landscapes, stone, and memory.
Three days of inspiration, collaboration, and shared experiences concluded with a common reflection: stories are not merely part of the past, they are a tool for the future. And if another deer happens to appear on the way home, perhaps it is simply a sign that yet another good story awaits.
