As part of a broader initiative to enhance the EU perspective within educational programmes across Europe, the EUClass Alliance projects´s summer school was held in Athens from 3rd to 5th September. The teacher training event brought together educators for hands-on learning and collaboration. The training focused on improving teachers’ skills in delivering EU-related content and developing innovative teaching materials.
Many takeaways to pilot and bring into practical teaching
The project’s workshop in Athens proved to be a resounding success. Among the participants were special needs vocational teachers Marjut Välikangas and Tuomas Kaihua from Luovi Vocational School, who have been tasked with implementing EU educational content in practice throughout the coming autumn and spring.
During the Athens workshop, participants explored various approaches to introducing EU issues into teaching in a way that resonates with young people, experimented with different methods, and planned for the use of online learning tools in education. Marjut and Tuomas will pilot these methods in business and common studies during the academic years 2025–2026, seeking effective ways to weave EU awareness seamlessly into everyday classroom practice.
“The next step is to incorporate activities that enhance EU awareness into the area of societal and civic competence, for example by using the EUcraft game,” explains Marjut Välikangas. “We are also launching joint EU-themed English lessons on Teams in collaboration with San Viator, our partner school in the Basque Country. Our focus will be on what it means to be young in Finland or the Basque Country. The workshop in Athens was an inspiring and multifaceted experience, and the project allows us to bring EU education into practical teaching more concretely,” Marjut describes.
By spring 2026 at the latest, Marjut and Tuomas’s students will have the opportunity to explore EU awareness from different perspectives and to try out a variety of teaching methods.
The development work in the project continues
The project aims to strengthen teachers’ skills, and thereby increase students’ knowledge of the European Union. This is achieved through a robust network that connects educators and institutions across Europe, fostering collaboration and the sharing of best practices
Next, the partner schools involved in the EU Class Alliance project will visit the European Parliament together with a group of students, further deepening their understanding of the EU in action. Follow the progress of the project on our website and stay tuned for more updates.
Discover more about the project: https://euclass.enac.org/
Check this video about the project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=BtKnOLgqqCcxLeXq&v=56QKz4nnXug&feature=youtu.be
Check their Social Media:
- https://www.facebook.com/ammattiopistoluovi
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/luovi/
- https://www.instagram.com/ammattiopistoluovi
Author: Elina Koskela, Communication Officer, Ammattiopisto Luovi Vocational College
