The EGEE Project

Ensemble Grandissons avec Espoir en Europe

A European project led by INSPÉ Lille HdF, EGEE supports Cycle 3 teachers in teaching European values and fundamental rights through a pedagogical toolkit designed for direct classroom use and an online training course.

Origins of the Project

The EGEE project – Ensemble Grandissons avec Espoir en Europe is led by INSPÉ Lille HdF (University of Lille) and funded by the European Commission through the Jean Monnet Teacher Training programme.

Launched in 2024, the project responds to a context marked by numerous challenges facing European democracies. In an environment where simplistic narratives and misinformation are increasingly widespread, schools play a crucial role in helping pupils develop critical thinking skills and gain a better understanding of the democratic principles that underpin European societies.

The EGEE project aims to support teachers in promoting European values, particularly through raising awareness of children's fundamental rights and combating discrimination.

The programme is designed for Cycle 3 teachers, corresponding to pupils aged 9 to 11 in the French education system (CM1, CM2 and Year 6).

A Collaborative Project

Over a three-year period, a team of teachers, teacher trainers and researchers from INSPÉ Lille HdF is working to develop the pedagogical framework of the EGEE project.

This work is also supported by the participation of:

  • mentor teachers and teacher trainers;
  • volunteer teachers from France and across Europe;
  • educational and institutional partners.

The resources developed within the project are tested in classrooms and progressively refined through feedback from teachers and pupils.

The final pedagogical framework and its resources will be disseminated across Europe by 2027.

Developing an Understanding of Children's Rights and European Values

The EGEE project is built around a central idea: helping pupils understand European values by developing their ability to analyse information, engage in discussion and construct reasoned arguments.

The objective is not only to transmit knowledge, but also to provide pupils with the tools they need to understand their rights and how these rights have evolved throughout European history.

To achieve this, the project is based on three complementary pedagogical approaches.

The Three Pedagogical Components

  • Texts and Images

    The first component is based on the analysis of European literary heritage texts.

    Examples include:

    • Hansel and Gretel
    • Tom Thumb (Le Petit Poucet)
    • The Little Match Girl

    These works provide opportunities to explore issues such as injustice, poverty and discrimination, while encouraging pupils to develop critical reading skills.

    Image analysis activities are also based on artworks and historical images available through Europeana, the European digital cultural heritage platform.

    Featured artists include:

    • Eugène Delacroix
    • Vincent van Gogh
    • Fernand Pelez
    • Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
    • Lewis Hine

    Through these activities, pupils learn to analyse representations of childhood and gain a better understanding of the historical development of children's rights.

  • Theater

    Theatre

    The second component of the programme is based on drama-based activities.

    These activities enable pupils to:

    • express their opinions;
    • discuss situations related to children's rights;
    • develop their argumentation and communication skills.

    Teachers are provided with plays adapted for Cycle 3 pupils, some of which are inspired by or adapted from well-known fairy tales.

    Each play explores a fundamental right enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), such as the right to privacy or the right to dignity.

  • Serious Games

    The third component of the programme is based on serious games designed to reinforce learning through engaging and interactive activities.

    Through an educational card game and an escape game, pupils discover:

    • different children's rights;
    • the values associated with these rights;
    • the functioning and principles of the European Union.

    These activities encourage cooperation between pupils and promote collaborative problem-solving skills.

[Translate to English:] Cofinancé par l'Union Européenne

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.