EUAMI, much more than just a summer school
This article is taken from: https://www.focuseurope.it/euami-as-more-than-just-a-summer-school/
When we signed up for the summer school we expected five days full of lectures, discussions and institutions. What we didn‘t expect was that our brightest memories wouldn‘t include just that.
Author: Ivayla Krasteva, student from Emiliyan Stanev Secondary School, in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria.
On 12 July, our five-day journey in Brussels began. After arriving in Charleroi and travelling to Brussels, we finally reached our hotel and had our first opportunity to explore the city. That evening, we walked through the centre, discovered some of Brussels’ landmarks and met participants from Spain who were staying at the same hotel. What started as a simple first evening quickly became the beginning of many new international friendships.
The following day marked the official beginning of the summer school. We met the other participants and introduced our schools and countries. Through icebreakers and an international lunch, where every group shared traditional food from home, we had our first real opportunity to get to know one another. Bringing Bulgarian food and seeing the reactions of the other participants was one of the simplest, but most memorable, ways to share our culture.
The educational programme introduced us to the functioning of the European Union and, more importantly, allowed us to experience its institutions first-hand. During the week, we visited the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. We also took part in activities organised by the Young European Federalists and visited the Migration Museum, where we explored different perspectives on migration and European society.
One of the most interesting parts of the programme was the simulation of the Foreign Affairs Council. Instead of simply learning about European decision-making, we had to take on roles ourselves, discuss different positions and work towards a common decision. The activity showed us how complicated cooperation between different countries can be, especially when everyone starts with different priorities.
However, the most valuable part of the summer school was not limited to the official programme.
Spending five days together meant meeting people from different countries, exchanging ideas, discovering cultural differences and finding unexpected similarities. Conversations continued long after the activities had ended, and the international groups gradually became one community.
Looking back, the summer school was much more than a series of lectures and visits. Brussels became a place where we could learn about Europe while experiencing its diversity ourselves. We returned home with new knowledge, new friendships and, most importantly, a much more personal understanding of what European cooperation can mean.