The students who took part are part in the Euroscola event are members of the College’s European Parliament Ambassadors Schools (EPAS) group, which is part of a European-wide group that aims to raise awareness of European parliamentary democracy and European citizenship values.
Restrictions due to COVID-19 meant that schools and colleges were unable to travel to the Euroscola event, usually held at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. However, immersive technology allowed them to take their seat (virtually) alongside Members of the European Parliament, including President of the European Parliament, David Maria SASSOLI, and Vice-President of the European Parliament, Nicola Beer.
USP College’s EPAS students represented the UK and took part in a series of debates with students from other colleges and schools from across Europe. They discussed topics such as technology addiction, cyber security, and fake news. They were encouraged to come up with potential solutions, and after discussion, students from around Europe took part in a vote to choose the winning idea.
James Lee, 16, who is studying A-Level Government and Politics, Geography, Biology, and Level 3 Core Maths said, “I thoroughly enjoyed Euroscola and would love to attend another event, it also enlightened me on the opinions of other EPAS students around Europe.”
Reece Nelson, Teacher of History and Politics, and head of the College’s EPAS group said, “Since launching the EPAS scheme in September, we now have more than 15 students attending the group regularly. It is fantastic to see everyone engaging with other EPAS groups from around Europe and seeing what it is like to work in an organisation like the European Parliament. I look forward to taking part in more interactive discussions in the future and helping students develop their networking and debating skills.”
The EPAS group has a busy schedule, with the next conference involving a discussion with a Russian Opposition Leader about Human Rights in Europe.
All students at the College, no matter what they are studying, can be part of the EPAS scheme. If you would like to find out more, come along to a College Open Evening, book your place on our website.