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Becoming an Active Citizen of the EU (Secondary School)

Help secondary students discover how the EU works and why it matters, with videos and interactive activities.

About 2 hours

6 lessons

Self-paced

Free

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A self-paced course that secondary students can follow on their own and teachers can use to prepare their lessons: a tour of the European Union, its goals, history and institutions, and the challenges it faces today.

What you will learn

  • Explain what the EU is, its main symbols, motto and official languages, and the principles that shape European identity
  • Understand the goals of the EU and the process of European integration, from its origins to the single market
  • See how the main EU institutions work and how decisions are made, based on the rule of law, citizenship and democracy
  • Discover how the EU affects daily life, from sustainable development to food and healthy eating, and what young people can do as active citizens

About this course

Young Europeans will shape the future of the European Union, yet many finish school knowing little about how it works or how it affects their lives. Understanding where the EU comes from, what it stands for and how its decisions are made is the first step towards taking an active part in it.

This course takes secondary students, aged 12 to 19, on a tour of the EU, from its symbols and founding goals to its institutions and the challenges it faces today, such as climate change and sustainable food. Students can follow it on their own, learning through presentations, videos and interactive activities. Teachers can use it to become familiar with the topics, find teaching materials and draw inspiration for their own lessons on the EU. A version of the course for primary schools is also available.

Course content

6 lessons · about 2 hours

The course is organised in four topics, each answering a key question about the EU. The topics combine short presentations, videos and interactive activities, and a self-assessment quiz helps students check what they have learned. There are no mandatory activities and no final exam, so students and teachers can move through the content at their own pace.

  • 30% Video Short lessons with your trainer
  • 20% Exercises Quizzes and activities to try
  • 50% Slides Presentations and readings
  1. 1 Welcome to the Course! 1 topicLocked
  2. 2 1. Introduction to the EU 4 topicsLocked
  3. 3 2. How was the EU born? 3 topicsLocked
  4. 4 3. How does the EU make decisions? 2 topicsLocked
  5. 5 4. What does the EU do today? 2 topicsLocked
  6. 6 Congratulations! 1 topicLocked

The lessons open once you are enrolled.

Your trainer

Elena Berizzi

Elena Berizzi

European project manager at Europass

Elena works on European projects at Europass Teacher Academy and designs courses on Erasmus+ project writing and accreditation. She has also taught Italian at Europass Italian Language School.

  • Bachelor’s degree in Languages, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice
  • Master’s degrees in International Relations and in Economics and Languages of Eastern Europe, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice
  • Project management experience at the Italian-Russian Chamber of Commerce in Moscow
  • At Europass since 2021

Created together with Tamara Slovinská and Tatiana Speri.

Your certificate

Complete all the lessons and your certificate of completion is generated automatically, ready to download as a PDF.

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