EPAS Trip to Europe House
On the morning of the 27th of November 2018, the three European Parliament Ambassador Schools Programme classes of Maynooth Education Campus set off to Europe House on Mount Street in Dublin City Centre which is the Representation in Ireland of the European Commission. The excitement amongst all the students was palpable and everyone was looking forward to an enjoyable day out. On our arrival at the location at approximately 10:30 we were escorted into the conference room. We were given a presentation outlining the different countries in the European Union. It briefly touched on the benefits of EU membership and discussed the different buildings associated with the Union. Along with this each of the branches that form what is collectively called the European Union were explained to us. These included the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, the European Council, the European Central Bank and the European Court of Justice, that’s a lot of institutions which the majority of people may not fully understand. Following on from this a video was played which lasted approximately 20 minutes. It provided us with a quick outline of the history of the EU, the parts that form the EU and how to become involved in the European Union. This video was incredibly beneficial in explaining to students a great deal about the EU in a short space of time. Subsequently, the 28 pupils present were separated into groups of 4 and these were the teams which would take part in the quiz. This quiz focused on elements of the presentation and video while also challenging peoples’ general knowledge asking questions such as the capital cities of several EU member states. This provided us with an opportunity to express all that they had learned in a competitive manner. Everyone enjoyed this and at the end prizes were awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Finally, everybody was invited to take some of the publications which were there including documents on the different EU institutions, the common currency, the official EU languages and a general explanation of the EU. These were all provided free of charge.
The day was incredibly beneficial for all those that attended. After a few weeks in classes learning about different aspects of the EU including the history and values it was nice to be afforded the opportunity to see the location in Ireland where the work of the European Union is conducted. Many of us learned a great deal from the day. For most people the institutions of the European Union are a complete mystery. Although most of us may have heard of the European Parliament, the European Commission and the European Council along with some high-profile figures associated with these, not many of us know what they do and what the differences are between them. Well, today solved that mystery for the EPAS students who had the situation decoded for them. We may not think or believe it, but the European Union has done an incredible amount for us in this country and this was highlighted through the days’ proceedings. Everyone was made more aware of how the EU has and will continue to benefit them. We have increased our knowledge of how the EU can help us. It is staggering to think of all the different things that would not be available to us or be different in our lives if it were not for the EU and the days events reinforced that message to us. As a whole, I learned about the many job opportunities that are present within the European Union. I believe that many people, like myself, may be completely unaware of these opportunities and I think it is important to inform them about these. I believe we have a duty to those who do not know about the opportunities to let them know about the different routes within the EU that they can take so that they do not miss out on these chances.