The first edition of the Students4Cooperation initiative came to an end with the study visit of the winning team to the European institutions in Brussels.
The winning team, consisting of six students from the 4th ESABAC class of IS Dante Alighieri accompanied by their teacher, left for Brussels on 5 May 2025.
On the first day of the study visit, the students visited the House of European History and had the opportunity to see the museum's permanent exhibition and reflect on the history and the values on which European Union is based. The second part of the visit included a workshop related to the temporary exhibition, which invited the students to reflect on history, its role in the present and how it is important for our common future. In the afternoon, the students had the opportunity to visit the headquarters of the European Commission. The programme featured two speeches by young people working within the European Commission. The first speaker, Lorenzo Rosati from the Directorate for Economic Affairs of the European Commission, presented the different EU institutions and their role.in particular it was emphasised the role that EU plays in the daily life of every citizen. The second speech was given by Beniamino Brunati from the European Commission's Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy, who presented the EU's regional policy and in particular the impact that the Interreg programmes have and have had on the development of European regions. The meeting was an excellent opportunity to show the students the opportunities that the European Union offers to young people and to present all the initiatives through which young people can be directly involved in European policy making.
On the second day, the students had the opportunity to visit the European Parliament and the headquarters of the Brussels Liaison Office of the autonomous region FVG. Although the two visits presented two different realities, both emphasised the importance of the citizens' participation in different European institutions. Thanks to the visit of the Liaison Office of the Autonomous Region FVG, the students became aware of a previously unknown reality and could experience the Region's commitment to be an active actor in different EU policies and be present at the heart of Europe.
At the end of the first edition of the Students4Cooperation initiative, we can say that the young people have expressed their willingness to participate and be part of Europe’s future. This short trip to Brussels and the visit to the European institutions allowed them to experience that the EU is not something far away, but is in fact extremely close and tangibly impacts their daily lives.
A big thank you goes to all the teachers and students who participated in the initiative and dedicated their time and resources to learn something new about European Territorial Cooperation.
Students4Cooperation is the initiative launched by the Interreg VI-A Italy-Slovenia Programme with the help of DG REGIO of the European Commission, which aimed to raise awareness among high school students about the European Territorial Cooperation. A big thank is due to all the colleagues from our Programme and DG REGIO who contributed in different ways to the success of this initiative.
