Mentrance: Building Youth Knowledge on the European Union

ongoing

The Mentrance project wishes to enter students of Marist College into the workings, processes, competencies and opportunities of the European Union. The project seeks to address the information deficit that exists amongst youth on the EU by using a cross-curricular approach to build their knowledge on the European bloc. The project proposes to create an educational module on the European Union, targeted at transition year students (year 4 of 6 in Irish second-level school). This project will provide students with factual information on how the EU works and the relevance it holds to their lives. It would promote European values of respect for democracy, equality, rule of law and human rights and outline the historical, geographical and economic principles which underpin the EU. It will also highlight the opportunities that exist for the students as citizens of the EU. The project will achieve this through linking the educational material to 10 specific subjects, with teachers in the school delivering the material. The 3 year project will see 200+ students build their knowledge on the EU, and this footprint will be complemented by the students' presenting their learning to the wider school community through events and project work. Events will include guest speakers and study visits, with a careers element also included to inform students about the pathways to a career in the EU. The project will bring the EU closer to its young citizens, increasing their sense of European identity and developing their understanding of how they can have their say on the EU. The young participants and their teachers will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to form their opinions on the EU in an informed manner, benefitting the wider community around the school.