From Learning about Europe to Participating in It: Expert Insights at the EUCLASS Summer School
This event is part of the European Skills & VET Week 2026, an initiative of the European Commission organised by Cedefop.
How can vocational education and training (VET) schools move beyond teaching facts about the European Union and create meaningful opportunities for students to experience European citizenship in practice?
This question was at the centre of a dedicated day of expert contributions during the EUCLASS Alliance Summer School in Athens. Two external speakers, Francesco Bruno from APRO Formazione and Wil Willemsen, co-founder of the European Parliament Ambassador School (EPAS) programme, shared practical experiences, innovative teaching approaches and opportunities to encourage students' participation in European democratic life.
Combining project case studies, hands-on workshops and contributions from other European education professionals, the day offered EUCLASS teachers concrete inspiration for integrating European citizenship education into vocational training.
Learning from Three Years of Practice: Europeans of Tomorrow
The morning session opened with Francesco Bruno's presentation, “Europeans of Tomorrow: What Can EUCLASS Learn from Three Years of Practice?”
Francesco introduced Europeans of Tomorrow (EoT), an Erasmus+ Jean Monnet project implemented by APRO Formazione in Italy across three academic years.
The project aimed to strengthen students' knowledge of the European Union, their sense of European belonging and their participation in democratic life.
One of its distinctive features was a cross-curricular approach: rather than introducing EU education as a separate subject, European topics were embedded in Italian, English, history, economics, science, citizenship education and career guidance.
The programme combined formal lessons with non-formal learning activities, including debates, simulations, educational games, workshops and international cooperation.
Across its three years of implementation, Europeans of Tomorrow involved 223 students. Its teaching model included a 40-hour module integrated into regular curricular activities, with support from educators specialised in EU-related topics.
