Ambassador School Programme

By taking part in the programme, students will learn about the role of the European Parliament and will get the opportunity to actively engage with their MEPs.  They will learn about European values, their rights as EU citizens and will be encouraged to actively participate in EU democratic processes.  The programme is aimed at students (14-18 years old) and is a particular favorite of Transition Year (TY) students.

Registration for the next term of EPAS will open in August 2024.   For more information please contact Margaret youth-epdublin@europarl.europa.eu.

CRITERIA
There are 4 main criteria which schools must complete in order to achieve the designation as an EPAS school at the end of the school term.

1. Designation of Senior and Junior Ambassadors
As the Senior Ambassador, teachers take care of the educational aspect, mainly organising lessons on European parliamentary democracy based on the learning resources provided by the European Parliament. Junior Ambassadors are selected by their Senior Ambassador for showing enthusiasm and involvement in the programme throughout the year.  They will take special responsibility for the implementation of the programme together with their teacher.

2. Teaching material
Senior Ambassadors can organise lessons based on a Student Workbook in conjunction with a Teacher's Manual. There are 6 learning modules in the workbook, covering the History of the EU, How the EU affects your life, Decision-making, Europe without borders, European values and Your voice in Europe.   
Senior Ambassadors may also use the interactive educational tool 'Europe at school - Active lessons about the European Union'.  The tool implements the idea of ‘learning by playing’, with quizzes, role-play games and exercises. It is the ideal tool for students from secondary and vocational schools and comes with a teacher's manual.

3. EU Info Point
The EU Info Point is an information and activity area dedicated to Europe and the European institutions and will display brochures and information about the EU, the work of the Parliament and MEPs etc.   The EU info-point can also be web-based, for example a dedicated page on a school website.   

4. Europe Day event
Europe Day is celebrated each year on 9 May.  Teachers and students organise a Europe Day event on the day itself or in the run-up to it.  Some ideas for an event include:  EU debating competition, Mock European elections, Meet your MEP, European music festival, European food tasting day, EU Quiz.

ACCREDITATION

School evaluations will be carried out and if all the conditions are met, the school may be officially designated a “European Parliament Ambassador School” (EPAS) and certified as such. This includes the award of a plaque that can be displayed in a prominent place on the school premises.  Plaques are presented to successful schools at an annual Awards Ceremony.  Schools unable to attend the ceremony are encouraged to invite an MEP to their school to make the presentation on behalf of the European Parliament (e.g. on TY Graduation Day). Junior Ambassadors will receive a special Junior Ambassador Certificate.  All other students completing the programme will receive a Certificate of participation.
The designation as an Ambasssador school is reviewed annually.   Schools need to reregister in the programme each year.

Additional activities (optional)

• eTwin with other EPAS schools in Europe.   eTwinning is the platform hosting the European community for schools and teachers for peer learning, professional development, and most importantly, for doing cross-border projects with their students.
• visit the European Parliament Liaison Office in Dublin;
• take part in Euroscola competitions;
• take part in online Euroscola sessions;
• take part in Online Youth Talks organised by the European Parliament;
• take part in Online Youth Seminars organised by the European Parliament;
• apply to take part in the EU Model Council, an annual competition simulating a European Council whereby each school represents an EU member state.

Participating schools

Please click here for the list of Irish schools registered for the 2023-2024 term.

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You can find out more about the European Parliament Ambassador School programme across the EU here