European Youth Gatherings

Purpose of European youth gatherings

The European youth gatherings are an important contribution to the European Dimension in Education. The participants, winners of the European Competition, which is organised in at present 32 European countries, experience Europe in a multicultural group, together with other young Europeans, but also by discussion and reflection on a European subject—usually in connection with the Competition theme of the corresponding year.

The participation in a European youth gathering is the most valuable award for a Competition work, both in the «ideational» and the financial sense. On the one hand the gatherings provide an important experience for the participants and give them the occasion to reflect on the basic aims, problems and perspectives of European integration; on the other hand the participation in a European youth gathering is a valuable prize also in a material sense. The importance of the European youth gatherings requires their being carefully planned and handled.

Organisation of a European youth gathering

Preparation of participants

In order to avoid that prizewinners who have won the participation in a European youth gathering come to the gathering with wrong expectations, the Coordinating Unit provides detailed information concerning the gatherings. Participants are given the opportunity to meet young people from other European countries with whom they will spend a week or ten days; to work together on joint projects (workshops); to have enough leisure time and occasions for the exchange of views and ideas with the other participants; to get to know a European region; to learn about European integration.

Four «essentials»

four essentials are charakterizing a successful European youth gathering:

• European intercultural learning
• individual learning
• learning about the host country
• learning about Europe

These points play an important part during the planning phase as well as during the concrete organisation of the gathering.

It is seen to it that the various elements and contents of European youth gatherings are closely linked to the participants' personal background and experiences. The European youth gatherings here offer various starting points:

• All the participants are prizewinners: this suggests discussions about their contributions to the European Competition of Europe at School.
• Different countries (average: 14) are represented in the group: hence a presentation of the different countries is made so that some knowledge about the cultures and people of the different European countries is acquired. During the exchange of ideas and experiences the young people also have the opportunity to learn about themselves, to compare their experiences with those of the other participants etc.
• The group stays in a given European region/city: further information on this region is given.
• The group meets within a European context: further information on Europe and European integration elaborated by participants themselves, is presented and discussed.

Topic

In most cases the chosen topic of the gathering is either the motto of the respective year's Competition or at least closely related to it.

There might be differences in knowledge about the gathering's topic among the participants - the team of the gathering will take this into consideration.

The «topic» is not the only main subject of the gathering. It is very important that the group itself becomes subject. Thus enough time is given to the participants to talk about their own background and their country and to discuss and reflect upon the situation of being member of a multicultural group. They are also encouraged to present and talk about their contributions to the European Competition.

By means of the offered workshops participants have the opportunity to become creative and to put the information they have acquired on the given European subject into action.

Concrete planning of European youth gatherings

Experience in the past has shown that it is of greatest importance that the organisers as well as the National Committees and the participants make use of the information sheets asking respectively giving all the relevant information on the gathering and the participants, so that a smooth cooperation between the National Committees, the organisers, the prizewinners, their parents and the Coordinating Unit is guaranteed.

Arrival of participants

• Participants get a detailed description how to get to the place of the gathering.
• Participants are not left alone when arriving but they are warmly welcomed and meet the team.
• Participants have sufficient opportunity to introduce themselves and get to know each other.

Orientation phase and information on the programme

• The programme of the gathering is sent to the participants in due time before they leave home; it is also indicated what amount of pocket money the participants need to cover extra costs (not a very big sum); the organisers also give information on the price for the use of leisure time facilities at the place of the gathering, e.g. swimming pool, other sports facilities.
• There is a programme which provides a framework of the gathering but which is flexible enough to take into account the participants' interests, needs and wishes.
• Information on the programme and the timetable is clear.

In order to create a comfortable atmosphere and a «group spirit» the participants must get involved and their interests must be considered.