During the summer school in Brussels, as part of the EUdemos project, which aims at systematically integrating EU affairs into school curricula through interactive activities, Sara Bertolli (CesUE and Euractiv Italia) has interviewed two Spanish teachers from the CEU San Pablo Sanchinarro School, Carlos Bonete and Ruth Jiménez Balboa.
What was the most meaningful moment of the EUdemos project for you, and why?
Carlos: I believe that the multicultural experience was the most powerful element of the project, since students can learn a lot from other nationalities and other cultures.
How has your students’ perception and your perception of the European Union changed after participating in EUdemos?
Carlos: By closely and physically engaging with the official institutions, the organisms, the main pillars of the European Union here in Brussels, the students have realized that these institutions exist and are not far away from them, but close to the citizens. When they will see the institutions on television or on other media, they will remember this great experience.
What did you appreciate the most about this summer school?
Carlos: Well, personally it is nice to visit significant cities like Brussels. I had already been here, but this experience was different: visiting institutions, as the European Parliament, was inspiring.
What EU-related topics do you find most urgent or relevant to teach to your students?
Carlos: The European economic panorama and the main economic sectors are surely relevant, since they are the environments in which European citizens work and engage with. Furthermore, it is crucial to truly understand how the European political system works – through the EU institutions. And by linking the two spheres, students must acknowledge how the economic domain connects with the institutions and the governmental level. Another relevant topic is geopolitics and security, given the complexities we are witnessing in the global asset.
What would you improve in a future version of the project?
Carlos: I would further emphasize the multicultural value of the project by organizing more activities in which all the institutes concerned are involved, for instance through online workshops. Moreover, I would increase the participation of second-year students, who have been less involved during the project.
Ruth: I would increase the number of EU-related activities with the totality of the schools, teachers and students involved in the project. Furthermore, I would have appreciated the opportunity to speak with one of the Members of the European Parliament, but unfortunately they were all in Strasbourg.
Would you like to take part in similar initiatives again, and, in case, which role or contribution do you think your school can give?
Ruth: Of course, we would love to take part in another project similar to EUdemos because, as European citizens, we all belong to the same land, and we have many things in common, even though we are very different in certain aspects. I truly believe that our group would agree to be part of more projects like this one.
[Matilde Sardo and Sara Bertolli]
