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 FOREWORD |
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Our present time is marked by profound changes. The growing together again of East and West, the enlargement of the European Union, the rapid scientific and technological progress and the effects of globalisation have a deep impact on our everyday lives. The peoples of Europe must increase and unite their efforts to secure a democratic political order and the respect of human and civil rights, to strengthen social solidarity, to increase welfare and, ultimately, to safeguard peace. This of course cannot be achieved at the national level only. The scope has to be widened and problems of common concern must be tackled at the European level so that clear perspectives can be developed.
The integration of Europe is founded on the will of its citizens. It is therefore of vital importance that young people, who will soon determine, as responsible citizens, the destiny of Europe, develop a European awareness. They also need to train capacities and skills that enable them to improve their knowledge and understanding of other cultures and to meet the permanent challenges implicit in a knowledge-based society.
The Europe at School activities help young people to acquire knowledge about the processes of European cooperation and integration and thus to grasp the importance of the European idea. Through the contents, structure and methodology of its activities, Europe at School contributes to a general education for democracy; it promotes intercultural education and supports the readiness for lifelong learning and the mastering of the new information and communication technologies. Europe at School is a pedagogical activity which is widely and officially recognized and mentioned in various resolutions and recommendations of the European institutions as well as in official documents issued by national education authorities. At the European level it is placed under the joint patronage of the Council of Europe, the European Commission and Parliament and the European Cultural Foundation, Amsterdam.
I should like to invite pupils and teachers - and all others who are interested in European education - to have a look at the following pages that present information on the Europe at School activities. I hope to encourage many teachers and young people to participate and transmit my very best wishes for a successful European work implying the prospect of winning attractive prizes!
July 2001
Doris Pack MEP
President of the European Commitee
of Europe at School |
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GENERAL INFORMATION OF THE PROJECT |
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Activities and Participation |
Europe at School is a continuous and reliable offer made on an annual basis to teachers and to pupils of all school types and age groups; it can easily be integrated into the day-to-day practice in European education. The annual themes of the European Competition and the close links with national curricula make it an initiative that is based on a sound common European denominator.
The main instruments of Europe at School are
- the European Competition, an annual competition of art and written works at primary and secondary school level,
- a series of youth gatherings involving prizewinners,
- the Europe @t School - Internet Award Scheme ,
- training seminars for youth leaders and
- teacher seminars.
 Participation in the Competitions is open to pupils and students from the Member States of the European Union, the Council of Europe, and from other countries that signed the European Cultural Convention. Pupils of all age groups and from all school types, including vocational schools and schools for children with special needs can take part; the age limit for participants is 21 years. Participation is recorded not only from big and middle-sized cities but also from remote parts of the countries involved. Written Competition contributions are handed in in a variety of languages, including e.g. the Saami language. Over the last 10 years, approximately 6 million pupils and their teachers could be incited to work on themes of European interest (annual average of about 500.000 participants). By continuous participation in the Europe at School activities, many schools have developed a European profile.
Objectives
It is the aim of Europe at School to promote European awareness among teachers as well as pupils and students by means of the European dimension in education at all levels. In particular, Europe at School aims at promoting
- a general education for democracy in the respect of different cultures,
- transnational cooperation in the field of European education,
- the mastering of the new information and communication technologies and the readiness for lifelong learning.
Through the contents, structure and methodology of its activities and by integrating European themes of central and current concern into education, Europe at School incites young people to
- become aware of being European citizens, by better understanding other cultures and by improving their knowledge of European cooperation and integration,
- develop a sense of responsibility for shaping their own lives and to make their contribution towards shaping Europe, in a society that is marked by constant evolution and the necessity to react to its continual challenges.
It is important to note that it is not the aim of the Europe at School activities to identify a young 'European elite', but that it seeks to encourage the greatest possible number of young people to explore and work on European themes. Consequently, the awarding of prizes is to be seen as an acknowledgement of the participants' initiatives and commitment to European issues.
Europe at School in the wider context of European education
The implementation of a European dimension has become a priority in education in recent years. The European Union and the Council of Europe as well as the national education authorities, have formulated and are continuously developing policies, programmes and projects which promote the integration of a European dimension in teaching and learning processes. Governments in Europe are fully aware of the importance of a European dimension in education for the future of Europe: After a number of corresponding resolutions relating to the implementation of a European dimension in education were passed, the importance of cooperation between the Member States of the European Union in the fields of education and training was mentioned in the Maastricht Treaty (Chapter 3, Art. 126 and 127). This was later confirmed in the Amsterdam Treaty and also figures in the text of the AGENDA 2000 proposals of the European Commission. The SOCRATES and LEONARDO da VINCI Programmes of the European Union are another proof of this. The Council of Europe carries out important projects and passed a number of resolutions and recommendations relating to the European dimension in education e.g. the resolutions of the Standing Conference of European Ministers of Education (e.g. Vienna, A: 1991; Madrid, E: 1994; Kristiansand, N: 1997; Cracow, PL: 2000). National authorities in the European countries, too, stress that besides the official measures the activities of non-governmental organisations, such as Europe at School , are important as a complementary and additional means to enhance the European awareness of students and teachers. Europe at School is explicitly mentioned in a number of the above resolutions and recommendations both at the national and the European levels. |
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ACTIVITIES |
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The european competition (art and written works)
The core activity of Europe at School is the European Competition, an art and essay competition held every year. The Competition having constituted the starting point, further activities have been developed over the years, which, taken together, make up Europe at School today. National Committees in 34 countries are responsible for the running of the activities (cf. list of National Committees).
Themes
The Competition themes are always connected with topical subjects that concern all Europeans. Young people can establish an immediate link between the theme and their own lives.
Every year the European Committee of Europe at School - i.e. the representatives of the National Committees and of the patrons - decides on one general motto for the coming Competition round. Since the education systems, requirements and necessities differ from one country to the next, it is the respective National Committee in each country involved which elaborates the final formulation of the themes for the two Competition branches: written and art works, and for the different age groups; basically, there are 4 age groups: up to 10 years, 11 to 13 years, 14 to 16 years, 17 to 21 years. Of course, the themes are presented in the respective native language.
Examples of general mottoes of past and current years:
- Towards a united Europe - a challenge for the citizen of the 21st century (1999/2000)
- A better environment - A better Europe (2000/2001)
- Our histories - Our European future (2001/2002).
- Europe in the world: interdependence and solidarity, understanding and tolerance:
a challenge for the future (2002/2003)
- Unterstanding Europe through culture and sports (2003/2004)
Forms of Entries
Works can be submitted in a variety of forms.
Examples:
- Written Works: essay, documentary, interview, research work, poem, radio play, theatre play, cartoon, newspaper, data base, etc. Of course, the works are produced in the participant's native language;
- Art Works: painting, drawing, poster, sculpture, collage, video film, game, fresco, photograph, computer animated project, etc.
- Other activities: simulation game, scenario, musical, exhibition, etc.
Working Methods
It is up to the teachers and pupils themselves to decide upon the method(s) they wish to use for their work on the Competition theme. This leaves room for innovative forms of teaching and learning. In most cases, work is done in the classroom, with the support of teacher(s). This stimulates discussion and enables pupils to find out more about the different aspects of one theme and about differing opinions. Often enough, method learning, e.g. finding out how and where information on the theme can be obtained, is a first and important step.
The Competition themes can be treated in one or in various subjects, e.g. history, sociology, art, literature, geography, etc., even in the form of cross-curricular projects. Pupils can hand in individual or group works; in some countries class works are also accepted.
Prizes
It is important to note that the awarding of prizes is intended as a form of acknowledgement of the participants' initiatives and commitment on behalf of European themes (cf. 'Aims'). In many countries, especially the bigger ones, hundreds of main prizes are distributed at different levels, e.g. school prizes, prizes at local and regional levels and, finally, at the national and the European levels. Thus, thousands of young people are awarded prizes each year, not only the one or ten "very best". As prizes were awarded at the various levels e.g.: Trips, books, medals, walkman sets, games, bicycles, monetary awards, etc.
The most important prize, however, is the participation in one of the European youth gatherings offered to the prizewinners each year. Every year about 500 young Europeans are invited to meet in about 15 gatherings that are organised in different (12/13) countries. Participants in these gatherings experience the excitement of belonging to a multicultural group of young people from all over Europe.
Assessment Criteria
The assessment of works is carried out on the basis of what can be expected from pupils from the respective types of school and age groups. This applies, of course, to both art and written works. The jury members recognise which works are above-average achievements (taking into consideration the different types of schools and age groups) and thus merit a prize. The criteria relate to content, method and, to a lesser extent, formal aspects.
In general, the criteria are:
- the work's European dimension,
- comprehension of the subject,
- clarity of the message / clarity of presentation: design/layout/mastering of methods used,
- interdependence of form-technique-content,
- creativity / originality of elaboration,
- research input, critical judgement, power of argument(s),
- naming of sources used; marking and accuracy of quotations.
Juries
There are different levels of selection in most countries, starting at school and regional level and proceeding to the national level. The (national) juries are comprised of experienced teachers drawn from all types of schools and representing the school subjects in which the competition themes were treated. In a number of countries, artists, writers, journalists and/or representatives of school authorities and teachers' associations, as well as members of the National Committees, also attend the jury sessions.
Time Schedule
The National Committees see to it that information concerning the European Competition, and procedures for participation is sent to the schools shortly before or after the summer vacations so that teachers and pupils can decide at the beginning of the school year whether or not they wish to participate. If they do, work is begun and continued until December or January of the following year. In January/February the Competition entries reach the juries; prizes are distributed around the two Europe Days in May (5th and 9th) and the European youth gatherings for prizewinners take place during the summer months (normally July and August).
Links with the Local and Regional Community, Families, Press and the Media
The activities of Europe at School transcend the narrow curricular frame of the classroom. They gain additional meaning and importance in a wider context for the whole school through prizegiving ceremonies, the presentation of art works or a panel discussion on a theme of the written and art section. Activities can be planned and developed in Euro clubs; they can be extended beyond the limited time of the project through its documentation. Families can become involved in some of these school-based activities.
Links with the local community and press can be established by making them aware of the Europe at School activities by inviting them to attend the prizegiving ceremony, printing written works in the local newspaper and displaying art works outside the school. A likely positive feedback will strengthen the motivation within the schools to continue to promote European awareness.
Through an exchange of project work with twinned schools in their own and other European countries further quality and breadth of understanding of the European dimension can be achieved.
Thus, the care of the network is established through Europe at School . The diagram (see Annex) illustrates various links which can be pursued.
For details concerning the organisation of the European Competition in the individual countries, please get in touch with the respective National Committee (cf. Annex)! |
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Europe @t School - Internet Award Scheme
As from the beginning of the school year 1999/2000, Europe at School launched a new activity for schools, the Europe @t School - Internet Award Scheme .
Objectives
The principal aims are to promote transnational cooperation, intercultural learning and the critical use of the information and communication technologies. The Europe @t School - Internet Award Scheme seeks to establish a network of school partnerships enabling schools to work together on themes of common European interest making use of the Internet. It is based upon the existing network of Europe at School .
Themes
The themes are related to the respective annual motto of the European Competition. Thus, they take up questions of current concern which are broadly discussed in all European countries and which require common European solutions. In the 1999/2000 school year the focus was on human rights, in 2000/01 it was on the environment. In the school year 2001/02 the motto was "Meeting Point History".
Task
The task is the production of a website, treating (one or several) chosen aspects of the theme. The website must be the result of the joint work of a European project group, consisting of teams in three partner schools from three different countries. The project partners decide on the content and framework conditions of cooperation:
- the aspect of the theme to be treated,
- the methods to be used,
- the language(s) of communication and for the presentation of the results,
- the contents and design of the presentation.
The project result is to be presented in the Internet. It must include a summary description of the project in English, so that someone who does not understand the chosen language(s) can get a clear idea of the project.
Conditions of Participation
The Internet Award Scheme is open to schools in the countries involved in Europe at School . The participants are classes or teams (not individuals), working together on the project either within the framework of the curriculum or in the form of an extra-curricular activity. Schools of all types are welcome. The minimum age of the pupils involved is 9 years.
Finding Partners
In order to facilitate the finding of partners, Europe at School provides a data base containing information on school coordinates and further details relevant for the seeking of partners.
Many schools maintain partnerships with schools in other European countries. The Europe @t School - Internet Award Scheme offers the opportunity to add a new impulse to these partnerships by establishing a project group together. Those schools/teachers for whom it is a new experience to work in a European context can use the Europe @t School - Internet Award Scheme as a tool for initiating European school partnerships.
Participation
About 300 schools from 28 European countries registered in the online data base as participants in the 2001/2002 round of the competition.
Jury
The entries to the Europe @t School - Internet Award Scheme are ranked in a two-step procedure according to the following criteria:
- European dimension of the work
- Exploration of the theme
- Clarity of the message
- Web-design
- Originality-creativity.
In a first round, the participating school teams select their favourite presentations within special ranking circles. The highest-ranked project results from each ranking circle are passed on to an international jury of experts who selects the final winners.
Awards
The winning teams will receive valuable prizes such as money awards or computer hardware. In June 2000, a prizegiving ceremony took place in Berlin, in June 2001 in Warsaw. In addition, each school team presenting a joint competition result will obtain a certificate confirming their successful participation.
Time Schedule
The time schedule of the Internet Award Scheme begins with the registration of interested school teams in the Europe @t School data base from 1st September to 31 October and ends with the presentation of the joint websites in the Internet in May of the following year.
Intercultural encounter and education
Europe is still under construction. Besides the different outlines as described by the Council of Europe or the European Union, governmental and non-governmental organisations as well as individual European citizens developed their versions and ideas of a united Europe. But concepts for a "Common European House" with open borders are still far beyond reality.
Living in Europe is living in multicultural societies. One of the biggest challenges for European societies today is how they will develop to embrace the increasing mix of cultural groups. Living in multicultural European societies and living as Europeans should start by learning from each other through encounter and exchange. To build open-minded societies is an ambitious and open-ended process. It is a big challenge to transform our multicultural societies into intercultural ones. Intercultural learning implies: breaking down barriers, developing open-minded attitudes, interaction, exchange, reciprocity, tolerance and solidarity. |
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European youth gatherings (for prizewinners)
As the most adequate award on behalf of a Competition work Europe at School offers participation in one of the European youth gatherings to winners from the various countries involved. These gatherings provide opportunities for a better mutual understanding and for intercultural learning; they contribute to informal intercultural education as well as to its European dimension. Thus, they are a step forward on the way to form intercultural societies.
Every year in the summer Europe at School organises about 15 youth gatherings in about 12/13 European countries. Each of the gatherings is run with a number of 30-40 young people coming from all the European countries where the activities of Europe at School take place. Thus, about 500 young Europeans come together. They live and work together for 8 to 10 days in an intercultural atmosphere. The gatherings focus on European (Competition) themes are run by multinational teams, often today made up by youth leaders of the Europe at School youth leaders pool. According to reports and letters, for many young people the participation in a European gathering is a key experience in their lives.
In general, the programmes take into consideration the following aspects: European and intercultural learning / Individual learning / Learning about the host country / Learning about Europe. The gatherings usually follow these phases: welcome phase with ice-breaking and confidence-building games; working phase with activities serving the approach of the theme: experts' input, visit of institutions, explanation of techniques that can be used in the workshops; creative workshops of various kinds according to participants' interests: e.g. theatre group, arts group, newspaper group, video group, ...; presentation and discussion of the results; final evaluation. The mutual presentation of the Competition works during the gathering is regarded as fruitful and interesting, and it is a good starting point for discussions on the theme. At "European evenings", participants present to each other information on their countries. At the end of each day, participants usually come together in small groups ("reflection/chat groups") to make a brief evaluation of the day, to mention problems, make proposals etc. Informal and unorganised parts of the programme where participants have time enough to better get to know and to discuss with each other, and excursions complete the programme. |
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Training seminars for youth leaders and work of youth leaders on gatherings
Resulting from the work in connection with the European youth gatherings and in view of the difficulties encountered by organisers in finding youth leaders with intercultural experience and training, Europe at School decided to offer training seminars for youth leaders to former participants in European youth gatherings. Over the last 7-8 years, many of the participants in the seminars have worked on the European youth gatherings as team assistants under the supervision of experienced teams, others are meanwhile youth leaders themselves and also work on other intercultural gatherings.
Central elements of intercultural learning during the training courses are:
- Getting to know oneself;
- Developing communicative skills;
- Increasing one's ability to interact and one's capacity to act.
The list is by no means an exhaustive 'catalogue' of learning objectives; it is also obvious that expecting to reach the aims implied in these terms would be demanding by far too much for one study session only. However, the elements mentioned present an idea of what the sessions are about and what qualifications need to be developed.
Over the last years the organisation of training seminars for youth leaders has become an almost regular activity within the framework of the Europe at School activities. That is why meanwhile a considerable number of young people work as team assistants and, depending on their training and experience, as youth leaders on intercultural youth gatherings all over Europe. In the last years for instance their number was around thirty. |
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European teacher seminars
It is obvious that within the framework of Europe at School teachers play a keyrole in the process of improving the quality and content of education.
By organising seminars for teachers and multipliers on different aspects of the European dimension in education, Europe at School makes a contribution towards the enhancement of the European dimension in this field, in particular in secondary education. Since 1990 a series of seminars, both with national and international participation, took place in various countries. The seminars do not only familiarise participants with European themes, they also foster the exchange on pedagogical, methodological and didactical concepts. In addition, often lasting contacts between participants and school partnerships are established. Several such seminars were supported by the Council of Europe within the framework of the 'In-Service Training Programme for Educational Staff'. |
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STRUCTURE |
The European Competition has been run on a permanent basis for fifty years while at the same time further activities were developed as described and the action radius could be extended to all corners of Europe. These facts make it clear that there is a continuous demand for this type of European education initiative. The basic objectives of Europe at School have remained unchanged. Yet a high level of flexibility permits the adaptation of the activities (contents and ways of implementation) to the developments going on in the field of education; such flexibility is possible because on the one hand there is a clear consensus between all the members of the European Committee on the objectives and content matters; on the other hand there is a minimum of binding regulations, formulated jointly by the members of the European Committee; this allows for a maximum of freedom for schools, teachers and pupils in the respective countries involved to develop and carry out their own projects within the general framework.
The present structure of Europe at School was defined in 1985/86 by an agreement between the Council of Europe, the Commission of the European Communities, the European Cultural Foundation and the German Committee of the Centre for European Education, combining the stability of governmental cooperation with the flexibility of private management. |
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Activities in 34 Countries under the Responsibility of National Committees
Austria - Austrian Committee of Europe at School
Belgium - Comite belge de L'Europe a l'Ecole
Bulgaria - Bulgarian Committee of Europe at School
Croatia - Croatian Committee of Europe in School
Cyprus - Cyprus Committee of Europe at School
Czech Republic - Czech Committee of Europe at School
Denmark - Europaeisk Ungdoms Landssekretariat
Estonia - Estonian Committee of Europe at School
Finland - Finnish Committee of Europe at School
France - Comite francais de L'Europe a l'Ecole
Germany - German Committee of Europe at School
Greece - Comite Grec de L'Europe a l'Ecole
Hungary - Hungarian Committee of Europe at School
Ireland - Irish Committee of Europe at School
Italy - Italian Committee of Europe at School
Latvia - Latvian Committee of Europe at School
Lithuania - Lithuanian Committee of Europe at School
Luxembourg - Comite luxembourgeois de L'Europe a l'Ecole
Malta - Maltese Committee of Europe at School
Netherlands - Europees Platform
Norway - Norwegian Committee of Europe at School
Poland - Polish Committee of Europe at School
Portugal - Portuguese Committee of Europe at School
Romania - Romanian Committee of Europe at School
Slovakia - Slovak Committee of Europe at School
Slovenia - Slovenian Committee of Europe at School
Spain - Spanish Committee of Europe at School
St. Petersburg - St. Petersburg Committee of Europe at School
Switzerland - Comite Suisse de L'Europe a l'Ecole
Turkey - Turkish Committee of Europe at School
United Kingdom - Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges
In the countries that the projcet Europe at School is in faze of implamantation have role of observers
Macedonia - European House Skopje/Macedonian Preparatory Committee of Europe at School
Ukraine - Ukrainian Preparatory Committee of Europe at School
Serbia and Montenegro - European Movement Srbia
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Joint Patronage
At the European level, the Europe at School activities are run under the joint patronage of the Council of Europe, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Cultural Foundation, Amsterdam.
At the national level, Europe at School is in many countries placed under a national patronage, for instance that of the respective Minister of Education or the President of Parliament.
Europe at School participates in programmes, projects, actions and campaigns of its patrons. This allows for mutual benefit by the use of the existing instruments (e.g. the Council of Europe's school twinning scheme with Albanian schools; its youth campaign against racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and intolerance, and the European Union's activities in the context of the European Year against Racism, etc.).
European Committee
This Committee is comprised of representatives from the National Committees, the Council of Europe, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Cultural Foundation. It formulates the general policy and chooses the general theme for the Competition each year.
Presidency
Currently, the presidency comprises the following personalities: President: Mrs. Doris PACK, MEP; Vice-Presidents: Mrs. Suzanne ROBER of the Belgian Committee of Europe at School , and Mrs Aurelija STASAITIENE, Chairperson of the Lithuanian Committee.
Coordinating Unit
A Coordinating Unit takes care of the management and day-to-day operations of the Europe at School activities and facilitates communication within the network.
Europe at School - Coordinating Unit,
Bachstr. 32, D - 53115 Bonn
Tel.: +49-(0)228-729 00 40, Faks: +49-(0)228-729 00 40
e-Meil : eas-cu@t-online.de; Internet : www.europe-at-school.org
bank account: : 020333100, Deutsche Bank Bonn, Bank code 38070059,
IBAN: DE71 3807 0059 0020 3331 00
STRUCTURE |
BODIES |
COMPOSITION |
TASKS |
National Committees: |
basically (variations according to countries): reps. of education authorities, teachers' unions, parents' associations, offices of European Commission and EP, private organisations, e.g. European Movement;
mostly work is done by working units within Ministries of Education |
running of activities at national level (announcement of competition, info, setting up juries, procuring prizes, ...
some NCs: running of European youth gatherings (EYGs)...) |
European Committee: |
1 rep. of each NC + 1 rep. of each patron (meets twice/year) |
formulates general policy of activities, taking into consideration national and European education policy; chooses competition themes,... |
Coordinating Unit: |
established in present form in 1986 by an agreement between 3 patrons and German Centre for European Education, Bonn (D) |
management and day-to-day operations of EaS activities; assures flow of info between all those involved; contacts with patrons/ promoters; organizes EYG in Strasbourg and seminars for and appointment of youth leaders |
Funding
As the main part of the activities is realised at the "grass-root" level (national level), the by far greatest part of total expenditures incurs at this level. The basic financing is, in most cases, assured by national authorities, public institutions and additional private sources. The resources for the activities and the coordination at the European level are provided by the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, the National Committees, the organisers of the European youth gatherings, and other sources, both public and private.
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