Young Ideas for a Sustainable Europe

St Paul’s CBS, Smithfield, develops ideas for a sustainable Europe

Together with the initiative Young Ideas for Europe and the IIEA, St Paul’s CBS, Smithfield, worked to develop innovative ideas to meet Europe’s future energy needs. Over the course of a week, students at St Paul’s discussed the energy sources of tomorrow.

Why is climate change happening and what can we do about it? If mankind can get the moon, can it not solve the climate crisis? What sources of clean power can we use in the future? What will tomorrow’s consumers demand from their energy suppliers and from government?

Transition Year students at St Paul’s tackled these and other questions as they took part in the pan-European youth project Young Ideas for Europe from 10-14 October 2011, which involved a fascinating week of discussion, and Skype link ups with a partner school in France, culminating in a debate where the students presented their political manifestos for the future of Europe. The debate was attended by political  patron, Paschal Donohoe T.D, who congratulated students on the excellent discussion of political ideas.

About Young Ideas for Europe

St Paul’s is the only school in Ireland to participate in this exciting project in 2011.

Young Ideas for Europe is a project of the Robert Bosch Stiftung. Its goal is simple: to create enthusiasm among European youth for the European project, to engage them in a meaningful dialogue and give them a chance to create their own visions for Europe. Since its launch in 2008, more than 1,500 young people from 18 EU Member States have taken part in project weeks as part of Young Ideas for Europe. Growing from 26 project weeks in 6 countries in the first phase, Young Ideas for Europe is now in its third phase, and is being implemented in all 27 EU Member States, with some 40 project weeks offering youngsters a voice in the future of Europe.

In a five-day project week students develop ideas for sustainable energy plans to meet Europe’s future needs. The best of these ideas throughout Europe are brought together into a common action plan – “New Energy for Europe” – which will be presented to the EU Presidencies and decision-makers in Brussels. The work of the students during the five-day project week is supported by political patrons and experts from the political, academic and the business community. Students create fictitious political parties, develop a party platform, and discuss and debate the issues with other student groups in the course of the project week. The project weeks will take place in all 27 EU Member States, with 2 taking place simultaneously and live link-ups and exchanges between the 2 countries throughout the week. A parliamentary debate marks the culmination of the week. Here students present and debate their party manifestos, before discussing their ideas with political patrons – thus linking them directly into the political sphere. A live link-up with the partner school in France during the presentation further strengthens the youngsters’ work in an intercultural context.

Further information can be found at www.youngideasforeurope.eu