Euroscola
Euroscola offers an immersive experience in the Chamber of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, allowing secondary school students to experience European parliamentary democracy. Students debate, negotiate, amend, vote and adopt resolutions on current European issues, just like the MEPs.
Each year we organise a video competition giving secondary school students the chance to win a sponsored trip to participate in Euroscola in Strasbourg. The competition is open to all post-primary schools. Competition winners (maximum 24 students and two teachers/minimum 10 students and one teacher) receive a subsidy towards the cost of travelling to Strasbourg.
We also run competitions in conjunction with the following organisations:
- Model Council of the EU
- Gaisce The President's Award
- Graduate.ie 2nd Level Student Competition
- Rotary Youth Leadership Development Programme
What is Euroscola?
Euroscola combines both in-person attendance, directly in the European Parliament’s hemicycle in Strasbourg and online, via live-stream and interactive online platforms.
The programme in the morning is a hybrid event and lasts two hours. Students learn about the European Parliament, its members,and policies. They actively participate by proposing their innovative ideas on the topic under discussion. This is done via live video on Interactio for online students, directly in the hemycycle for students present in the European Parliament in Starsbourg or in written form via Slido for all types of attendees.
The afternoon part of the programme is reserved for in-house participants. In order to take an active part students prepare in advance and come to Strasbourg already acquainted with the issues up for discussion. Students take the floor in plenary and committee sessions to debate and vote on resolutions on current affairs, all the while practising their language skills and making friends with fellow students from across Europe. Teachers also have the opportunity to meet their colleagues and exchange feedback about their own classroom practices & experiences.
More information
For more details about Euroscola check out the website here. For information about group composition and the financial subsidy, please refer to the FAQ.
You can follow Euroscola sessions LIVE on Parliament's multimedia centre.
A look back at our 2024 competition: Digital Addiction
Our 2024 competition focussed on the topic of digital addiction. The impact of social media platforms on the health of users, especially young people, is of great concern and the European Parliament has urged the European Commission to propose new EU rules to tackle digital addiction. We asked students to create a one-minute video clip explaining their ideas on what the EU can do to tackle digital addiction.
Check out the winning entries below!
Dublin constituency:
- St Kilian’s/ Lycée Francaise International, Clonskeagh, Dublin (winners)
- Grange Community School, Donaghmede, Dublin (runners-up)
Midlands-North-West constituency:
- Scoil Mhuire Buncrana, Co. Donegal (winners)
- Summer Hill College, Sligo (runners-up)
South constituency:
- St. Mary’s Secondary School, Macroom, Co. Cork (winners)
- St Brendan’s College, Killarney, Co. Kerry (runners-up)
Honorable mentions were given to:
- St Mary’s Secondary School, Co. Mayo
- Dunshaughlin Community College, Co. Meath
- Colaiste Chiaráin Croom, Co. Limerick
- Rockbrook Park School, Dublin
A look back at our 2023 competition: 'European Elections: Democracy in Action'
We asked students to create a one-minute video clip explaining what they would do to increase voter turnout and how they would encourage more young people to vote in the European elections in June 2024.
Check out the winning videos below!
Winners:
- Dublin Constituency: Rockbrook Park School, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16
- Midlands-North-West Constituency: Errigal College, Windyhall, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
- South Constituency: St. Augustine’s College, Abbeyside, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford
Highly commended: