Education and learning at the European Parliament.
Date: 2017-12-21
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: European Parliament, access to EU information, information network, learning, teaching materials

EN

EDUCATION

AND LEARNING
AT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

FREE

The European Parliament welcomes visitors of all ages. 
In this leaflet, you will find information about services and resources 
that are available for educators that support the standard offer 
for visitors in Brussels and Strasbourg.

In Brussels the standard offer features three facilities: the Hemicycle 
that is used for debating and voting, the Parlamentarium visitors 
centre and the museum, the House of European History. In Strasbourg, 
visitors are able to see its Hemicycle and the parlamentarium Simone 
Veil in a combined visit.

Educators can also take advantage of the network of 
European Parliament Information Offices in major cities around Europe. 
The offices organise events and provide materials about the 
European Parliament, and some even include the Europa Experience, 
a unique exhibit that lets visitors find out about European politics 
in an interactive and dynamic way.

Unless specified otherwise, all the information about visiting 
the European Parliament, including bookings,
can be found online:

www.europarl.europa.eu/visiting

BRUSSELS

HOUSE OF EUROPEAN HISTORY

The House of European History looks at the continent as a whole and 
presents visitors with different perspectives on the history of Europe. 
The museum is an ideal learning space for exploring Europe’s past, 
present and future in engaging and enjoyable ways.

Opening times:
Mon. 13:00-18:00   |   Tue.-Fri. 9:00-18:00   |   Sat.-Sun. 10:00-18:00

90 mins

Activity worksheets

Specially designed worksheets support the learning experience of both the 
permanent and temporary exhibitions. The resources encourage students to 
look into, interrogate and analyse history in an independent way. Working in 
small groups, visitors explore the stories and content of the museum in depth, 
finding out about European history for themselves. Group leaders can use 
guidance notes to accompany students using the worksheets.

12-18 years  

10-60 people  

Permanent exhibition: 90 mins  

Temporary exhibition: 45 mins  

DE, EN, FR, NL

Availability: Every day
Min advance booking: 2 weeks

Workshop: Out of the display case

History comes to life in the Out of the display case workshop. Participants 
should be ready for a hands-on experience as they discover some of the 
fascinating items in the House of European History. Primary and secondary 
sources, including objects, photographs, textual materials, can be examined 
as participants hold history in the palm of their hands.

6-18 years 

10-30 people  

90 mins  

DE, EN, FR, NL 

Availability: Thu. 10:00 -11:30, 14:00-15.30, Fri. 10:00 - 11:30
Min advance booking: 4 weeks

Workshop: Faces from the past (from 2018)

Costumed actors bring history to life and greet participants in the Faces from 
the past workshop. Famous - and not so famous - faces from the 19th and 20th 
centuries allow groups to engage with people that made history and experience 
the past in a truly fun and stimulating way.

6-18 years  

10-30 people  

90 mins  

DE, EN, FR, NL  

Availability: TBC
Min advance booking: 4 weeks

PARLAMENTARIUM

Experience the European Parliament as never before at the ground-
breaking Parlamentarium. Dynamic multimedia displays, including 
a stunning 360° cinema and a giant interactive map, allow visitors to 
discover European democracy.

Opening times:
Mon. 13:00-18:00   |   Tue.-Fri. 9:00-18:00   |   Sat.-Sun. 10:00-18:00

90 mins

Luna game

In the Luna game, played by the whole family, children meet Luna, a friendly 
alien who has come to the Parlamentarium to learn about the European Union. 
Young visitors must answer Luna’s questions using information that is scattered 
throughout the exhibition. All children receive a prize at the end of the visit.

6-10 years  
90 mins  

Mixed small group of children and adults 

All 24 European Union languages

Availability: Every day

 
Intergalactic Talent Show

The Intergalactic Talent Show makes it easy for young people to grasp the 
European Union.  In groups of four or five, they must find the lyrics to ‘The Sound 
of Europe’ that are hidden around the Parlamentarium. The questions and clues 
encourage participants to examine and engage with the European Parliament.

10-14 years  
All 24 European Union languages 

4-5 people  

90 mins 

Availability: Every day

Role Play Game

Players take their turn at running the European Union in the Role Play Game. 
As Members of the European Parliament, they must study, debate and vote on new 
legislation. Groups are divided into political groups and committees to analyse 
the issues, propose changes and find compromises. Players see for themselves 
how European law is made and who the key players are. All participants receive 
a certificate signed by the President of the European Parliament. A debriefing tool 
is also available to follow up on the experience in the classroom.

14+ years  
All 24 European Union languages 

16-32 people  

2½ hours 

Availability:  Mon. - Fri. (see website for times)  
Min advance booking: 12 weeks

HEMICYCLE

Brussels Hemicycle visit

The Hemicycle seats all 751 Members of the European Parliament and is used 
for the largest and most important debates. Groups visit the Hemicycle’s public 
gallery and can see debates live if the European Parliament is in session. 
Groups also receive a wide-ranging interactive presentation on the European 
Parliament that can be tailored to the audience. Topics of interest can also be 
covered if indicated when booking.

10-100 people  
14+ years  
All 24 European Union languages 

1½-3 hours 

Availability: Mon. - Fri. 8:30 - 18:00
Min advance booking: 8 weeks

European Youth Seminars

European Youth Seminars gather young people from all over Europe to present, 
discuss and vote on ideas on a hot topic. A number of groups from different 
countries work together in a common language spoken by all participants. Their 
ideas for solving issues are debated during the day in ideas labs.  The day ends 
with a final vote on the best proposal, which is then discussed with Members 
of the European Parliament.

16-30 years  

20-40 per school group (larger groups subject to 

availability) 

1 day  

EN , FR , DE

Availability: Several times a year
Min advance booking: 8 weeks
More info: Vissem@ep.europa.eu

PRACTICAL

INFORMATION

 visit@europarl.europa.eu
 europarl.europa.eu/visiting
 @visitEPbrussels
 facebook.com/europeanparliament

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© European Union  / EP, 2017

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
STRASBOURG

European Parliament visit

Strasbourg is the official seat of the European Parliament and features the 
Hemicycle that is used for important debates and votes. Visiting includes seeing 
the Hemicycle and participating in a wide-ranging interactive presentation 
on the European Parliament that is tailored to the audience. Visitors may 
be able to see a debate live if the European Parliament is in session. Visiting 
Strasbourg includes the parlamentarium Simone Veil, which offers a dynamic 
and interactive introduction to the European Parliament.

14+ years  
10-100 people  
All 24 European Union languages 

1½ - 3 hours 

Availability: Mon. - Fri.
Min advance booking: 8 weeks

parlamentarium Simone Veil Role Play Game

Players take their turn at running the European Union in the Role Play Game. 
As Members of the European Parliament, they must study, debate and vote on new 
legislation. Groups are divided into political groups and committees to analyse 
the issues, propose changes and find compromises. Players see for themselves 
how European law is made and who the key players are. All participants receive 
a certificate signed by the President of the European Parliament. A debriefing tool 
is also available to follow up on the experience in the classroom.

14+ years  
All 24 European Union languages 

16-32 people  

2½ hours 

Availability: Mon. - Sat. 10:00 & 14:00
Min advance booking: 12 weeks

Euroscola

Euroscola allows students to see European Union decision-making first-hand, 
in a dynamic and multilingual setting. The European Parliament invites schools 
from across the European Union to take part in a programme that culminates 
in a one day event in Strasbourg. In the Hemicycle debating chamber itself, 
students step into the shoes of a Member of the European Parliament to take the 
floor, debate and vote on resolutions. Schools begin by competing in national 
competitions before travelling to Strasbourg.

16-18 years  

15-24 students (plus one teacher)  

national competitions, duration varies per country)  
Union languages (final Strasbourg event only in EN, FR, DE)

1 day (plus 
All 24 European

Availability: Contact your nearest European Parliament Information Office

ACROSS EUROPE

European Parliament Information Offices
The European Parliament has a network of information offices in major 
cities across the European Union. The offices organise activities and events, 
provide teaching materials on the European Union, and some feature 
interactive Europa Experience exhibitions. See the visitor website to find 
out where your nearest office is.

Ambassador School Programme

The European Parliament Ambassador School Programme is an educational 
network that raises awareness of European citizenship and democracy. Teachers 
become Senior, and students Junior, ambassadors and organise activities such 
as information points and events for Europe Day. The European Parliament and 
its Information Offices provide support with teacher seminars, educational tools 
and communication platforms that make it easy for schools to get in touch with 
Members of the European Parliament and understand their work. They also 
facilitate contacts with other European schools in this network.

14-18 years  
All 24 European Union languages 

Student group(s) plus teacher(s)   

Availability: Contact your nearest European Parliament Information Office

More info: 
www.europarl.europa.eu/atyourservice 
www.facebook.com/EPAmbassadorSchools

ONLINE RESOURCES 

House of European History classroom activities

Online resources for educators and students are available on the House of 
European History website. The materials complement the permanent exhibition 
and are ideal for classroom, home or other educational settings. Major themes 
are covered in the resources, which talk about the issues as well as highlight 
the similarities between the past and the present. Themes available: migration, 
human rights, identity, conflict and communication.

6-18 years  

All 24 European Union languages

More info: www.historia-europa.ep.eu

EuroparlTV online classroom resources

EuroparlTV produces videos about the European Parliament’s activities. 
The service includes a mix of news, background and educational videos. 
Programmes are available online in many formats, as well as with subtitles 
for most official European Union languages. USB sticks with educational 
programmes can also be requested.

All 24 European Union languages 

More info: www.europarltv.europa.eu/home