In early March 2026, 26 VET students and 10 teachers from Estonia, Finland, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain gathered in Brussels for an intensive four-day study visit.
In the EUCLASS Alliance project study visit every activity help VET students—also with special educational needs—understand that European citizenship isn’t an abstract concept but a tangible reality they can actively participate in.
The first day focused on working in international teams. The morning started with dynamic ice-breakers at the EVBB office. Passport Speed Meet allowed students to make fast connections across borders, discovering unexpected commonalities and celebrating differences. Then a Brussels interactive Street Art Tour in the Laeken district where students worked in small international groups, each taking different routes through the neighborhood. At each stop, students reflected, discussed, and participated in a photo challenge, capturing their own perspectives on what these European values mean to them.
The second day took students deep into the heart of EU institutions, on a self-guided exploration of the Parlamentarium, the European Parliament’s interactive visitor center. With specially designed worksheets, students discovered how EU laws are created, the role of Members of European Parliament, how different countries work together, and the journey from citizen concerns to European legislation. Then another guided walking tour of Brussels’ European Quarter using a treasure hunt format with challenges where students located key EU buildings, solved questions about European institutions, debated real policy challenges. The third day students explored the House of European History, into international subgroups, each team received worksheets guiding their exploration. Then came the meeting with MEP: Brigitte Van den Berg at the EVBB to discuss the VET Students Advisory Board specifically about: Recognition, Attractiveness and Mobility. Students got to ask questions, share their experiences, and understand that their voices don’t just matter.
The final day brought students to the European Parliament itself—the culmination of everything learned throughout the week. From 36 individuals to one team. From six countries to one European team: proof that european integration succeeds also when it extends beyond policy frameworks to lived experience.
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Author: Beatrice Dusi – Communication manager at ENAC Ente Nazionale Canossiano ets