The European Economic and Social Committee is organising the 14th edition of “Your Europe, Your Say”
A simulated youth plenary session allowing secondary school pupils from any EU Member State and from the official EU candidates countries (Albania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine) to learn about the EESC and its role, and to exchange views and propose recommendations on a specific subject.
The theme for this year is “Youth Democracy Dialogues”, to raise awareness about democratic values while encouraging critical thinking and youth participation.
Working in small groups within workshops, in a negotiation and debate format to reach consensus, the youth event will raise awareness about the way social agreements are reached between groups of separate interests.
These workshops also provide an opportunity to deal with related challenging topics such as freedom of speech, inter-generational solidarity, and justice or the impact of the EU policymaking process on young people.
The participating students will come up with recommendations that will be submitted to the European institutions and high-level European policy and decision-makers.
How to apply
To apply a school must:
– be a secondary school or a vocational training school with students of 16-18 years of age;
– be located in an EU Member State or in one of the seven candidate countries, or be one of the Brussels-based European schools;
– be recognised by the education authorities in their country;
– have a computer (to read and print PDF files), with unlimited internet access and an official email;
– choose one teacher and three pupils who are able to express themselves in English;
– agree with the selection procedure involving a random draw (using an electronic application) from amongst the applicant schools of each country, organised by the EESC;
– agree that the three selected pupils and one supervising teacher will take part in the event during school time;
– ensure that the three selected pupils each have a computer/laptop or a tablet with internet access
– consider and discuss the topic of the event in class before the virtual event;
– host one EESC Member for an information session on the EU and the EESC, provisionally between January and February, (travel expenses of the EESC member to be paid by the EESC).
– inform the selected pupils, their classmates, and possibly all pupils at the school of the possibility to follow the preparations for the event and the event itself on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Deadline for schools to register: 30 November 2022.
Only one registration form per school will be accepted.
After registration has closed, one school from each of the EU Member States, along with a school from each of the candidate countries, will be chosen.
The selected schools will then choose three students pupils in their penultimate year of any type of secondary education (aged 16 years) to represent them, as well as a teacher who will accompany them.
These people will have to be able to express themselves in English.
For reasons of gender equality, the pupils selected should not all be of the same sex (unless they are from single-sex schools).
Schools must ensure that disabled pupils are also able to take part in the event.
The event will take place in Brussels, Belgium, from 23 to 24 March 2023.
All the proceedings will be conducted in English.
Find out more here.
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