Thirsting For Europe is a project designed to foster a deeper understanding of Europe – and in particular, the European Union – to help individuals become well-informed citizens who can share this knowledge or incorporate it into their work or teaching activities. Members of associations/NGOs, staff from local authorities or companies, and professionals in education and training are the main audiences for this initiative.

Belonging to the European Union and sharing a common citizenship, with its values and collective goals, requires a solid understanding of Europe’s geographical, economic, historical and cultural foundations. The extent to which this knowledge is promoted through education plays a crucial role in shaping citizens’ sense of European identity and their engagement in building a shared future.

In its initial two-year phase (2023-2024), the project is funded by the European Union as a school education cooperation partnership under the Erasmus+ programme. It brings together members of two associations and staff from seven schools across France, Italy, Portugal and Romania.

Click here to view and download the project presentation

Partners in 2023-2024:

• associations / non-governmental organizations

  - INTER+VALUE and Maison de l'Europe de Rennes et de Haute-Bretagne (Europe House of Rennes and Upper Brittany);

• schools

  - in France: Lycée La Fontaine des Eaux de Dinan (La Fontaine des Eaux High School of Dinan) and Lycée des métiers Bel Air de Tinténiac (Bel Air Vocational High School of Tinténiac);

  - in Italy: Istituto Comprensivo Gandhi in Prato (Gandhi Integrated School of Prato);

  - in Portugal: Miranda do Douro, Mogadouro and Vimioso school groups;

  - in Romania: Colegiul Național Emil Racoviță in Iași (Emil Racoviță National High School)

Over the course of these two years, participants registered by the partner organisations took part in visits to Brussels and to the territories of the various partners. They engaged in face-to-face and online meetings, and a wide range of activities including workshops, seminars and school-based projects.

The need for exchange and observation-based mobility quickly became clear, not only to discover how European institutions function and meet the people behind them, but also to interact with both leadership and frontline actors from other education systems, sharing perspectives, practices and approaches.

These visits and exchanges contributed to one of the project's key outcomes: identifying and documenting examples of good practice and collecting useful data and resources, all of which have been brought together on a dedicated website open to everyone.

Please note: The website is already accessible, but still under construction. It is expected to be finalised by February 2025. In the meantime, some information may be inaccurate (pending correction), and certain articles may be placeholders (awaiting replacement with actual content).

THIRSTING FOR EUROPE LATEST NEWS

October 2023 • delegation of Thirsting For Europe, in Portugal

As part of the project, several trips across Europe are planned for the participating staff. At least two of these must involve study visits to one of the European partner institutions.

A first study visit took place in Portugal from 1st to 4th October 2023, alongside the 6th transnational meeting of the project’s partner organisations. French, Italian and Romanian participants were hosted by their Portuguese colleagues in three municipalities in the northeast of Portugal, whose schools or educational coordination bodies are involved in the project: Vimioso, Miranda do Douro and Bragança.

These visits aim to explore how the visited regions, their local communities, educators and learners, relate to Europe, what benefits they associate with EU membership, and how this is communicated at local level.

A concrete goal is also pursued: to gather and bring back useful information and educational resources to each partner organisation and to colleagues and stakeholders in their home regions, including learners, families and local communities.

Overview of Thirsting For Europe in Portugal a video produced by Point Barre

March 2024 • Delegation of Thirsting For Europe, in Brussels

As part of the project, a visit to Brussels was also planned and took place from 4th to 7th March 2024.

The aim of this visit was to engage directly with the institutions of the European Union — to gain a better understanding of their work and to exchange views with elected officials and staff on how they serve Europe, the aims and conditions of their day-to-day work, and how they communicate with European citizens.

Participants had the opportunity to observe the institutions’ work environments, learn about ongoing activities, meet with professionals working on European matters, and contribute to a key project objective: gathering useful information and educational resources for their organisations, colleagues and local communities.

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April 2024 • Delegation of Thirsting For Europe, in Brittany, France

A third study visit took place from 15 to 19 April 2024 in Brittany, where Italian and Romanian participants were welcomed by the project’s local partners.

The first two days took place in the Côtes-d'Armor department (northern Brittany, France).

On day one, the participants took part in activities led by the Jeunes Européens à Rennes (Young Europeans Rennes) with students from a vocational Year 12 class at Lycée La Fontaine des Eaux in Dinan, a project partner. Activities included EU-themed games and a simulation of a European Parliament session.

On day two, the group visited Saint-Brieuc, where they were welcomed by local EU-related services (Europ’Armor and Relais Europe), as well as the Ligue de l’Enseignement (French League of Education), for a discovery session on their missions and the exchange opportunities they offer.

The remainder of the visit took place in the Ille-et-Vilaine department (eastern Brittany, France).

First, at the Lycée des Métiers Bel Air in Tinténiac (Bel Air Vocational High School of Tinténiac – another project partner), the day was devoted to presenting the school’s vocational tracks (logistics, transport, etc.) and showcasing students’ European mobility experiences. The following day, the Maison de l’Europe and the Jeunes Européens à Rennes (Young Europeans Rennes) led interactive workshops.

The final day was spent in Rennes, where the project's two partner associations are based: INTER+VALUE, which leads the project, and the Maison de l’Europe de Rennes et Haute-Bretagne (Europe House of Rennes and Upper Brittany). The group visited the Maison de l’Europe’s headquarters, where they were introduced to its outreach activities and the European information resources it provides to users across the region.

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Presentation of the Maison de l'Europe in Rennes

Guided tour of Rennes

May 2024 • Delegation of Thirsting For Europe, in Tuscany

A fourth study visit took place from 13th to 16th May 2024 in Tuscany (Italy).

French, Portuguese and Romanian participants (13 in total — including 2 from Romania, 2 from Portugal, 3 from the INTER+VALUE association board, and one project officer) were welcomed by the Italian partners from the Istituto Comprensivo Gandhi in Prato (Gandhi Integrated School), a participating school in the project.

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Visit to Prato Town Hall

Classroom at Istituto Comprensivo Gandhi