On Thursday, representatives of the European Parliament Liaison Office in the UK and former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Catherine Bearder visited Cherwell School in Oxford to award pupils and teachers for completing the Europe-wide EPAS educational programme, which includes developing partnerships with other schools across the continent.
Thursday, 13th of October 2022: The EU and UK continue to be close and special partners, as both share deeply held values and democratic principles. One shared value in particular, is the importance of parliamentary democracy. To this end, the European Parliament Liaison Office in the United Kingdom (EPLO UK) has continued to offer a set of free educational programmes and resources to UK school pupils and college students. These programmes and resources are designed to nurture mutual understanding, and ensure that future generations continue to learn, connect, and broaden their horizons together. The European Parliament Ambassador School (EPAS) scheme is an EU-wide programme available in the UK since 2021 and connects its member schools to a network of 1,500 schools, and 23,000 pupils and students throughout Europe.
The Cherwell School is one of the most active EPAS schools across the network, having completed the programme over the course of two consecutive years (2021 and 2022), under the stewardship of Senior EPAS Ambassador, Ms Charlotte Richer. As part of their involvement, Cherwell School attended the first EPAS meet-up event at London’s Europe House in May this year, partook in Euroscola earlier this month, while simultaneously establishing partnerships with schools in Finland and Estonia. 32 student delegates travelled to these schools to work on joint projects, and Cherwell School will reciprocate by warmly welcoming pupils from Finland and Estonia in the spring.
In recognition of their contribution to the EPAS programme, a selection of schools across the UK are recognised with the unveiling of an honorary plaque. Regrettably, the pandemic prevented the unveiling of the EPAS plaque at the Cherwell School last year. Hence, to celebrate their achievements, staff from EPLO UK, former Member of the European Parliament, Catherine Bearder, and school representatives gathered on Thursday afternoon. Following the unveiling, Catherine Bearder delivered a presentation, and held a Q&A session with a group of Junior Ambassadors, speaking to them about the importance of maintaining close links with our European neighbours, and how they could play a vital role in shaping the future of the UK’s relationship with the EU. She was delighted to see the curiosity and enthusiasm of Cherwell School pupils to build a shared and interconnected future for learning.
EPLO UK is driven by a commitment to young people in the United Kingdom and continues to encourage other schools across the UK to get involved in their variety of educational programmes, and to make use of the available learning resources. Whether by attending an interactive presentation at Europe House (or alternately available in schools upon request), taking advantage of free learning resources, or seizing the opportunity to participate in the rewarding European Parliament Ambassador School Programme (EPAS), there truly is an option for every UK school.
If you are interested in getting your school or college involved in the EPAS programme, please find more information on the EPLO UK website, and feel free to contact: eplondon@europarl.europa.eu
