REGGIO EMILIA – The sixth edition of. began in recent days, with the first stages in Scandiano and Correggio “What Europe does for me”, the path promoted by the Province of Reggio Emilia in collaboration with the E35 Foundation to illustrate to young people the importance and opportunities of the European Union. In continuity with what has been done from 2019 to today, the project proposes meetings and activities in 4 municipalities (8 and 17 May will be the turn of Reggio and Castelnovo Monti) involving over 800 students from all 21 upper secondary schools and celebrating Europe Day on May 9th.
“What Europe does for me” is an in-depth course that the Province of Reggio, in collaboration with the E35 Foundation for international planning, organizes to illustrate to high school students the importance and functioning of the European Union, the opportunities offered to young people, but also offer tools for reading and analyzing the role of the European Union today.
This year’s edition will see some new features, also involving “young speakers” who speak to young people: in addition to the E35 Foundation, speakers from independent partners will also take part such as Will Media, an online community of information on current affairs which, starting from data and statistics provides information and content on topics of interest, adopting digital, innovative and immediate tools; Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), an Italian study center recognized at national and international level specializing in geopolitical analysis and global political-economic trends; OriPo, the Generation Z think tank, made up entirely of university students and young professionals who explain complex topics through innovative and interactive tools and formats; voices of the Digital EU Ambassadors, a group of young journalists and editors, selected by the European Commission (DG Network, to share information and content on the EU and digital; the Europe Direct of the Legislative Assembly of Emilia-Romagna, point of information on the European institutions and policies of the Region.
In addition to the initiatives in the area, there is a questionnaire that the E35 Foundation is addressing to young adults in schools in Reggio Emilia to find out how much they know about the European Union, the policies, services and activities that impact the lives of citizens, as well as to understand the most important issues for young people within the framework of the European Union. The results emerging from the questionnaire – almost 300 responses have been received so far – will be presented at the various meetings.
The journey will end with the Europe Day celebrations: like every 9th May, the E35 Foundation will organize – also together with the Eurodesk Reggio Emilia Agency – activities in the square to celebrate Europe Day. In particular, the treasure hunt will be organized as the final event of the “European Young Multiplier” project created by the Eurodesk Agency of Reggio Emilia with the involvement of approximately 180 students from classes III and IV. The treasure hunt will take place in the streets of the historic center: there will also be a theatrical performance in collaboration with the European Theater in Palm project dedicated to the promotion of young emerging artists.
Why a path on the European Union
In June 2024, 400 million citizens will be called to elect the members of the European Parliament: the path proposed by the Province together with the E35 Foundation aims to be a space of activation and participation, aimed at informing as many students as possible on the importance of actively participating in European elections, as well as sharing information and insights on European institutions and main policies, but also a way to encourage everyone’s participation in voting.
During the 5 editions held, What Europe Does for Me involved over 7,000 young people in training and awareness-raising activities on European issues and plans, such as: history and institutions of the European Union; European opportunities aimed at young people; sustainability and climate change; 2030 agenda; integration and human rights; foreign policy.
The initiative is part of the European Parliament’s “Together-for.eu” campaign which aims to involve as many people as possible in the democratic life of Europe and, in particular, to encourage active participation in the 2024 European elections.
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