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European Perspectives - EUROPER
Start date: Sep 1, 2016, End date: Aug 31, 2017 PROJECT  FINISHED 

The aim of the project is to bring the key topics - Refugees and their integration, migrants issues, EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy - to about 660 pupils in 11 schools in the new Federal States of Germany .The „European Perspectives – EUROPER“-Workshop as a two days seminar offers information about the values and the main institutions of the European Union, with the opportunity of a structured dialogue between pupils and decision-makers, and a simulation game to EU decision-making processes relating to the key topic.We choosed schools in the rural areas of the new Federal States of Germany, because traditionally there in a special way youngsters not reached by European public dialogue initiatives. These young people who have fewer opportunities to engage themselves in public dialogues, for instance due to their geographical location in rural areas, and tend to view politics as distinct from their own lives.Project Elements are:o An "IdeasLab" at the beginning of the project period with all target groups, including youngster, teachers and decision-makerso Interviews during the starting phase of the project period with decision-makers and experts on EU asylum policies, for developing the contents of the further project elements o An online intranet EUROPER#Platform that contains all information about the EUROPER#Workshops and an introduction to the issues discussed.o The two-day EUROPER#Workshops as the core element of the EUROPER project: - In the first day, pupils learn basic facts of EU, the refugee policy and European integration, EU institutions and the EU decision making process. They also will be introduced to important issues related to the current refugee crisis, the corresponding EU asylum policies and their local implementation. To prepare the structured dialogue with decision makers, pupils have the chance to develop questions that they want to ask them. In the subsequent dialogue with decision makers pupils have the opportunity to get personal insights of the views and the practical experience of decision makers.- The second day of the workshop is organised as a Simulation of an EU decision making process. Every pupil plays either a national minister or a MEP and negotiates the future of the reception conditions directive. To prepare for the negotiations, each participant receives a role profile that lists the character of the pupil's MEP or national minister and his or her personal opinion on the topics to be discussed. As one project impact, for the pupils European issues become more transparent and comprehensible by explaining the process and by highlighting the impact of EU decision-making on the pupils' immediate surroundings, potentially fostering interest in the subjects. By providing a flexible and informal compact course on democracy and politics in Europe and the EU with a special focus on the current refugee crisis, the participants not only learn about one of the most pressing societal and political challenges. They also get a deep insight about democratic decision-making in the EU. This enables them to form an own opinion about our political system. Furthermore, they form an own opinion about the EU and the refugee crisis and become less susceptible for populist and nationalistic sentiments. Eventually, they might even be motivated to become active either politically or as a volunteer in a civil society organisation.One major impact for teacher will be that they will enhance their curriculum by the component of civic education and disseminate the new methodology among their colleagues. Therefore, the teachers will gain innovative and necessary skills, methods and instruments for the inclusion of European citizen education in their curriculum.The participating schools are given the opportunity to complement their school curricula by an innovative, flexible, informal civic and fun education training programme. EUROPER can provide their students with a profound education going beyond classic teaching methods. And it increases the experience of schools in cooperating with external project partners and political decision makers for their own further curricular work.
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