Conference on the Future of Europe: Experience participatory democracy in your class

Last updated on Thursday, 03/02/2022

What can the European Union do to tackle climate change and environmental challenges? How could we better face future health challenges? With the Conference on the Future of Europe, the EU has launched a unique occasion for young people to shape Europe’s future! Talk to you teacher and make sure your class can participate in this unique experience and make the voice of pupils and students heard!

Participatory initiatives are increasingly used to give people a say on what matters to them, complementing and strengthening representative democracy – and indeed numerous case studies have shown their usefulness and success. Pedagogically speaking, it is also an opportunity to raise awareness about citizenship and Europe, and to stimulate civic education.

As a school or university student, you have with the Conference on the Future of Europe a unique occasion to organise an activity in your class – or involving different classes in your own school/university, between schools/universities – that leads to a concrete follow-up at EU level.

What can you do in practice?

Talk to your teachers. Let them know they can trigger key contributions from their students and create a genuine experience of participatory democracy in their/your class. 

The results of this pan-European debate will feed into the discussions of European Citizens’ Panels towards concrete ideas and proposals to the European institutions on the way forward for the EU by spring 2022. All European institutions have committed to follow-up. 

Discover how you can help shape Europe’s future on the European Commission Learning corner and email your teachers, using a template prepared by MeetEU volunteers.