The EU Experience: A School-Based Approach from the Netherlands
This event is part of the European Skills & VET Week 2026, an initiative of the European Commission organised by Cedefop.
The programme of the Summer School in Athens concluded with an online contribution from Annette Dagelet and Mark van Oosten of ROC Midden Nederland, who presented their approach to European citizenship education.
Their model, “The EU Experience”, combines classroom learning with opportunities for participation and international experience.
It includes EU citizenship lessons, student-led assignments, educational visits to Brussels, cultural exchanges, internships abroad and activities connected to the EPAS programme.
A central principle of their approach is peer-to-peer learning, through which students do not simply receive information about Europe but become actively involved in sharing it with others.
Their EPAS-related initiative, EU Connect, includes student Junior Ambassadors contributing to an EU information point, Europe Day activities, international networking and educational content creation.
This example demonstrated how European citizenship education can extend beyond individual lessons to become a visible and participatory element of school life.