European Union citizenship at school

The need to make the education world promoter of democratic and EU values during a period of socio-healthy-economic crisis, populist extremists, and a general lack of trust in the democratic processes pushed the consortium to work on educational tools for schools to promote citizenship, common values of freedom, tolerance, and non-discrimination. We strongly supported the idea that schools groow up the future EU citizens since early childhood and can be the best drivers to share such values. Preliminary research showed that few schools teach EU citizenship, teachers are not prepared enough on EU and there is a limited number of user-friendly and online resources. Moreover, surveys during the 2019 EP elections showed that few students knew what the EU is, showing a general need to establish an educational space to integrate the EU citizenship education at school level, to bridge the gap between young people and the EU, and to help teachers to be prepared to face such challenges. All partners shared this need, as they are all very active in promoting EU citizenship and in finding learning solutions to boost social inclusion and promote diversity, to support the school to become more inclusive and based on EU values.

The objectives of the project were: - train teachers on EU related topics and support them in developing methodologies and strategies to integrate EU citizenship education in their subjects; - motivate students to become active citizens and increase their awareness over the EU context, its rights, and common values; - support schools in enhancing civic participation and engagement and the participation of young students in the democratic life; - make the school a key driver in boosting the EU citizenship; - developing social and intercultural competencies, as well as critical thinking thanks to the activities proposed; - support the development of educational environments based on principles of inclusion and promoting diversity, embedding the very key principles of EU values; - boosting the collaboration among students regardless of their social background, special needs and origin. We believe that thanks to the created results, as well as the strong dissemination activities, we have reached the above-mentioned objectives.

During the entire project, project management and coordination activities took place. We immediately activated communication channel with partners, and we implemented virtual meetings for cooperation and organizational activities to ensure administrative duties and tasks and clarify all the aspects about project management. In addition to the online meetings, three physical meetings took place in Rome (16-17 July 2022), Athens (1-2 December 2022) and Warsaw (27-28 April 2023). We followed project results monitoring and budget monitoring to evaluate the activities and other results, measure the effectiveness on users and other quality and evaluation tools. We also followed dissemination activities to highlight the project on internal and external channels. At the end of the project, we realized multiplier events in all Europe to disseminate the results. Partners started their work focusing on the creation of the e-learning (R1). We implemented preliminary research activities, through questionnaires to teachers, to understand which gaps they had about EU citizenship to then conduct academic research to collect the materials and adapt them to the e-learning modules. Rome Tre with the help of the schools prepared the questionnaire, which received a total number of 182 answers all over Europe. Based on the answers, we selected the five modules of the e-learning. SmartNest created the website hosting the learning platform and then provided the storyboards and templates to fill-in with information to be then transferred into e-learning modules. Rome Tre, STANDO and Euphoria Net created such content. More precisely, Stando created Module 1 and 2, Roma Tre Module 3 and Euphoria Module 4 and 5. All partners with exception of Euphoria Net, STANDO and IC Montessori translated the content. Smart Nest oversaw uploading online all the e-learning. The e-learning was reviewed internally by the partners (especially for the content and typos), and then tested externally by 10 teachers per partner and 15 per school (especially for the user-friendliness of the platform and of the content). Smart Nest did a last review and update of the platform according to the received feedback. During the Summer 2022, we started working on the creation of the Tool-kit for playing with EU@School. We implemented a brainstorming session based on the need analysis of R1, to understand what game method would have helped students' learning on Eu topics and on which topics develop the games and the escape rooms. Logopsycom and Challedu, the two co-leaders of this result, led this phase. We decided to create 4 games on role models and 4 escape rooms, and the two co-leaders were in charge to develop the frame and main mechanics of the games in terms of synopsis, settings, scope of players, challenges, mechanism of challenges, mechanism of interaction etc, as well as defining the main parameters and mechanics of the game (objectives and base concepts), and then to develop the final products. The development phase was supported by all partners (Rome Tre University helped with the creation of contents providing reliable sources and materials on the EU, Euphoria Net, Smart Nest and STANDO helped in the content creations of the complementary activities and schools provided continuous feedback), especially with the testing phase. We established that each school should involve 6 teachers with approximately 20 students each, and other partners 2 teachers with 20 students each. After the testing phase, we decided to create 4 games and 4 escape rooms, and to address the former to all age groups (8-16 years old), while the latter to older students only, as during the testing phase we realized that escape rooms were too difficult for primary students. For them, we realized complementary activities and games that we integrated directly in the lesson plans (flash cards and various simple games). All partner with exception of Euphoria and Montessori translated the resources. The last results we have been working on were the lesson plans. We were supposed to create at least 7 lessons for each level (primary and higher), but we end up with 26 lessons for three target ages (7-9, 10-13 and 13+). Based on the R1 and R2 need analysis, Euphoria Net together with all partners made an analysis of the learning objects most effective for students, in order to create lessons and materials ready-to-use and pleasant for both teachers and students. We selected different topics according to the target ages, and some same topics to be differentiated according to the age. For example, lessons on policies were addressed only to older students, while the common currency was addressed to all target groups but with adapted content. Euphoria Net, STANDO and SmartNest’s instructional designers created the lessons, including in them also complementary activities of the games and escape rooms. All partners tested the lesson plans (each school involved 6 teachers with approximately 20 students each, and other partners 2 teachers with 20 students each) and according to the feedback, the three content creators adapted the results. All partners with exception of Rome Tre and Montessori translated the lessons. As for all the results, Smart Nest was in charge of the online upload and layout on the website.

Within our project, we have created the expected results that are the following: - An e-learning to train teachers and school education staff on EU related subjects and support them in including EU citizenship education at school (R1). The online course is self-paced and is divided in 5 modules (History of the EU, Institutions of the EU, Policies of the EU, Funding system of the EU, EU values and citizenship). Users can follow the modules in order, or can go directly to the topic they prefer. The access is free and registration is not needed. At the end, users can test their knowledge through final self-assessment quizzes. Link to the resource: E-Learning | Eu School (euatschool.eu) - A Tool-kit to play with EU (R2) based on to help the transfer of knowledge about EU-topics through an enjoyable and informal way through individual and group engagement. In total, we realized 4 board games and 4 escape rooms available in all partners languages that can be used digitally or printed. We also provide teachers guides to introduce these games. The games are: Who is my legend (9+), EU Journalist (11+), Eu legends (11+) and EU Treaties (13+). The escape rooms are Time for Peace (13+), Murder in the European Parliament (13+), Let’s go green (13+) and Welcome Eastern Europe (13+). As said before, students aged 8-12 found very difficult to implement escape rooms, so we have created also complementary activities for them that we have included directly in the lesson plans (sets of flashcards and games to be printed). Links to resources: Board Games | Eu School (euatschool.eu) and Escape Rooms | Eu School (euatschool.eu) - Lesson plans (R3), which are teaching instruments designed to be used in any class of citizenship education digitally or printed. The lessons were developed according to visual and adaptive approaches for primary and secondary schools’ levels divided in three groups (7-9, 10-13, 13+) to facilitate even more the introduction of such EU topics. The lesson plans present learning objectives, material needed, guidelines and final assessment methods to guide the teachers during the teaching process of EU related topics. In total, 26 lesson plans were realized in 7 languages. The selected topics are the following: Common Currency, EU Capitals, EU Values, Flags of the EU and Myth of Europe and EU Symbols were created for both 7-9 and 10-13 years old, differentiating the content and activities proposed; more complicated content (Common Agriculture Policy; Consumer Policy; Digital Policy and Digital Citizenship; European Green Deal; Facts on the European Union; Internal Market; Migration and Asylum Policy; History of the EU - 1900-1945; History of the EU - 1946-1959; History of the EU - 1960-2007; History of the EU - 2008-today; Common Currency; EU Citizenship; Youth Opportunities; Pioneers of the European Union; The EU Legislative and Decision-Making Process; The Institutions of the EU (part 1 and 2)) were created for the target age 13+. Link to resources: Lesson Plans | Eu School (euatschool.eu) The results are available in 7 languages (IT, EN, FR, GR, BU, PL, LV). The main idea was to create an educational interconnected environment to teach EU citizenship. If you go to the lesson plans, you will find references and connection to the games and escape rooms, and the connection to the module of the e-learning where the teachers can prepare themselves. All the modules of the e-learning prepare teachers (and students) to play the games and the escape rooms, as well as to implement the lesson plans. Primary school teachers can find further games and playful activities for younger students in the complementary activities proposed in the lesson plans. The resources can be used and accessed everywhere, printed or in a digital format, on the project website: About | Eu School (euatschool.eu). Teachers all over Europe can use them to teach EU citizenship in their classes.