European Forums for School Students and Apprentices
The EJP organises two- to three-day parliamentary simulations in German for school pupils and trainees from Year 9 onwards directly at schools throughout Germany. The main goal of our events is to raise awareness of European political issues among as many young people as possible throughout Germany. Volunteer moderators from the EJP prepare complex topics in a way that is understandable for school students and apprentices, so that they can discuss them in groups and then develop possible solutions.
The EJP usually cooperates with several local schools and companies in order to enable as many pupils and trainees from a wide variety of school types as possible in each region to participate in our event. The format is aimed in particular at apprentices and students at school types that the EYP has not yet been able to reach with its national selection process.

What's happening at the European Forums?
Before the event, all participants have the opportunity to prepare in advance for an exciting committee topic. The sessions then consist of three parts: team building, committee work and the general assembly. In addition to the committee work, there is also enough time to get to know each other better and exchange ideas.
During team building, delegates meet in their groups to get to know each other better. Guided by experienced chair persons from our network, inhibitions are broken down and trust and team spirit are built in a playful way. In addition to having fun, participants practise reaching consensus and solving problems together and become more aware of group processes.
During committee work, participants work together in their committees to draft a joint resolution on a current, controversial topic. Committee members exchange their knowledge and arguments. The committee chairs support the process of reaching consensus. Each participant contributes their own opinions and ideas to the resolution.
During General Assembly, the delegates debate their resolutions in accordance with parliamentary rules. The young people present their positions in the plenary session, thereby contributing their thoughts to the other resolutions that have been drafted. Finally, things get exciting: all delegates vote on the results of the committee work.
Results of Our Work
As an informal educational project run by young people for young people, our events focus on exchange and debate. Thanks to the mixed committees comprising students and apprentices from different types of schools, diverse and intensive discussions arise that allow for new perspectives on familiar political topics.
Through systematic preparation and intensive examination of the selected topics, the discussions among the students and apprentices in the committees, as well as the resolutions, demonstrate a good understanding of topics that are often completely unrelated to their school curriculum. Participants acquire new knowledge and experience politics first-hand.
In addition to the debate, many young people experience a democratic decision-making process in person for the very first time at our events and give their own speech before the plenary session of the general assembly.
Even after our event, we offer students and apprentices the opportunity to continue their involvement in the EYP and participate in a session in Germany or one of over 600 events throughout Europe. We are happy to provide assistance with financial support options and advise on our travel grant.

Upcoming Events
The European Forums are a central part of the association's work. The parliamentary simulations are held in German and are aimed at all types of schools, including vocational schools. They serve to promote understanding of the European Union and usually last three days. Participants are local and stay at home overnight. However, it is not possible to qualify for the national selection process and the international sessions of the European Youth Parliament. If you are interested in supporting our events, please do not hesitate to contact our supervising board member Ben Hilgemann.
For any further information, please contact the responsible board member, Ben Hilgemann.
For any further information, please contact the responsible board member, Ben Hilgemann.

Requirements
In principle, our programme is open to all types of schools. However, we would particularly like to encourage vocational schools and schools in geographically remote regions to apply. Provided we can find external funding for the event, there will be no costs for the schools. However, we are dependent on your cooperation in the planning and implementation, especially with regard to the use of premises. We would be happy to answer your questions in a personal meeting.
We also work closely with companies that want to give their apprentices the opportunity to experience a European Forum. Enquiries can be directed to our board. You can also contact the staff of the European Youth Parliament at any time; they will be happy to answer any questions you may have.