More than 20 teachers and project representatives from across Europe gathered in Alba, Italy, from 9 to 12 June for the international workshop of BELONGtoEU – Building European Learning Opportunities and Networks for Growth in VET, a European project aimed at strengthening knowledge and understanding of the European Union within Vocational Education and Training.
Co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme under the Jean Monnet Actions, BELONGtoEU aims to bring students and teachers closer to the values, institutions, rights and opportunities of the European Union through innovative teaching approaches and learning resources specifically designed for the VET sector.
The project brings together six organisations from five countries: Apro Formazione and the University of Eastern Piedmont in Italy, ASUC Boro Petrushevski in North Macedonia, Galway Technical Institute in Ireland, Pärnumaa Kutsehariduskeskus in Estonia and CEBANC in Spain. Apro Formazione coordinates the international partnership.
The workshop for trainers in Italy
The workshop represented an important step in the development of the project. Over four days, participants worked together on methodologies, content and learning activities designed to make European topics more concrete, participatory and relevant to the everyday experience of VET students.
The programme addressed topics such as European integration, young people’s perceptions of the European Union, the development of learning activities and the validation of shared teaching approaches. The sessions combined theoretical input, practical workshops, collaborative activities and exchanges of experiences and good practices among partners.
Participants also had the opportunity to engage with organisations active in the field of European citizenship and European education, namely Apiceuropa, Europe Direct Cuneo and the Antonio Megalizzi Foundation, exploring initiatives and practices that can support the development of engaging approaches to EU education.
The next steps of the project
The workshop is part of a broader process that will lead to the development of a multilingual e-Toolkit containing teaching materials, activities and resources on European Union topics. These resources will subsequently be tested in partner VET schools and refined on the basis of feedback from teachers and students.
Through these activities, BELONGtoEU aims to provide VET teachers with practical tools to integrate European topics into their everyday teaching, while strengthening students’ knowledge of the European Union, their awareness of European rights and opportunities, and their sense of belonging to a wider European community.
The project contributes to the broader objectives of the Jean Monnet Actions by promoting knowledge of the European Union in areas of education where EU studies are less commonly addressed. By connecting VET institutions from different national contexts and encouraging the exchange of practices and methodologies, BELONGtoEU seeks to support active citizenship, democratic participation and a stronger European dimension in vocational education and training.
BELONGtoEU – Building European Learning Opportunities and Networks for Growth in VET (Project No. 101240715) is co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ programme, within the Jean Monnet Actions.
If you want to be informed on project activities, follow us on Instagram @belongtoeu or visit our website, www.belongtoeu-project.eu. For any question about the project, please contact us to europa@aproformazione.it.