Travel to Strasbourg with your Gaisce participants in January 2019

\"European

Gaisce, in partnership with the European Union Parliament Information Office, is offering Gaisce participants in DEIS schools a fantastic opportunity to travel to Strasbourg in January 2019 and experience what it’s like to be an MEP for a day. It brings together 500 16 – 18 year old students from all 28 EU Member States. Euroscola allows students to get together, debate, take sides, negotiate, amend, vote and finally adopt resolutions on real European issues.  We are looking for one group of 24 Gaisce participants to travel to Strasbourg with 2 teachers for 3 days in January 2019. Preparation for the trip will meet the Gaisce requirements for either the Personal Skill or the Community Involvement section of the Bronze or Silver Awards.

 

How to take part

Teams who are interested in taking part are asked to create one 4 page information leaflet about one EU country* (not Ireland) that will represent the team. The leaflet should promote the country, include pictures and provide information about that county’s:

  • Links between chosen country and Ireland
  • EU history (when it joined, number of MEPs etc.)
  • Culture ( e.g. Language/Music/Art/Dance/Fashion)
  • Geography (capital city, significant rivers/mountains/lakes etc.)
  • Food
  • Main tourist attractions
  • Famous people from that country

*Excluding Ireland, there are 27 countries in the EU. The team will choose one EU country to focus on – it might be a country that no team member has visited and would like to know more about, one that a team member has a personal link to or a relatively new member state.

Assessors will consider the leaflets using the following criteria:

  • Quality of information
  • Clarity of information
  • Design

 

Dates and tasks:

26th October              Closing date for submission of leaflet

5th November            Team notified of result and the winning team begins preparation for their trip (EU Parliament office will provide further details). Teams not travelling continue to focus on the EU for remaining weeks (e.g. researching other EU countries using headings above, short project on Brexit (!), relationship between EU and US, project on MEPs role/upcoming European election, project on the origins of the EU, information campaign about the importance of voting in EU elections, invite MEP for area to school and ask students, teachers and local community for suggested questions)

30th January 2019    Travel to Strasbourg

31st January              Euroscola

1st February               Return (team may choose to stay longer at own expense)

 

Please read the following details before applying:

-Teams that submit applications must be registered Gaisce participants in September/October 2018

– Each team can only submit one leaflet per team

-There can be more than one team from a school, however each team much have at least 24 participants

– Each leaflet must be A4 sized

– Submissions can be emailed to powens@gaisce.ie or posted to Euroscola Challenge, Gaisce, Ratra House, North Road, Phoenix Park, Dublin 8

– Leaflets will be assessed by representatives from Gaisce and an external organisation  

– Gaisce may share some leaflets on the Gaisce website or on our social media

 

The team chosen to travel must:

– Be available to travel to Strasbourg for three days in January 2019

– Have valid passports/identity cards

– Use the full EU subsidy of €300 (approximately) per person to fund the trip. Please note that the total cost may not be fully covered by the subsidy and additional costs will be met by school or participants

– Pay their registration fees before they travel

-Complete feedback forms for Gaisce after they travel (participants and teachers)

– Write a short article about the whole experience which Gaisce will share on social media and on the Gaisce website

– Book flights, accommodation and any optional activities. The school will cover initial travel costs and be reimbursed by the EU after the trip

 

If you have any questions, email Patricia – powens@gaisce.ie or call 01 617 1999.

 

Scroll to Top