The Historical Archives of the European Union offers tailor-made educational programs designed and developed for students of all ages, from kindergarten to university, in accordance with both the guidelines for teaching European civic education and the recommendations established by the European Parliament for the implementation of citizenship education initiatives. These initiatives aim to enable younger generations to learn about the historical events of the EU, its complexity, and the functions of European institutions.

To introduce students to important topics concerning the history and current developments of the European integration process and European institutions, our program focuses on the educational use of the funds preserved in the Archives on the principle of transparency, which preserve the cultural and historical heritage of the European integration process. The EU institutions are responsible for safeguarding the fundamental rights of European citizens, such as freedom, human dignity, equality, the rule of law, solidarity, and citizens' rights.

The program creates social spaces for interactive reflection, critical thinking, discussion, and learning about issues related to the European Union, democracy, and European citizenship.

A full description of our activities in Italian can be found here.

European Union Civic Education Programme

The HAEU Educational programme is organized in collaboration with the Association of Former Members of the European Parliament (FMA). This collaboration involves former members of the European Parliament who meet with Florentine students and share their direct experiences in the world of European politics and their opinions on the European Union.

The educational program collaborates with other local institutions such as: Chiavi della Città, Metropolitan City of Florence, Tuscan Regional School Office, University Association of European Studies, Europass Teacher Academy, Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze, the Municipality of Ventotene, the University of Florence, the Carlo Bo Higher School for Language Mediators (SSML), the Tuscan Historical Institute of the Resistance, the Ernesto Rossi and Salvemini Institute, the University of Eastern Piedmont, and other new institutions outside Tuscany, such as The House of European History and the European Studies Center-University Center for International Studies of the University of Pittsburgh.

Educational offers for students

The HAEU educational programme is aimed at children and youth from kindergarten to high school. Learning takes place both on and off-site, and participating students visit the Archives for a guided tour and laboratory.

The educational offer explores the construction of a free, peaceful and united Europe, focusing in particular on the concept of European citizenship and the appropriation of Europe's heritage.  

Teachers working in kindergarten, elementary and secondary schools in the Florence area wishing to enrol their class can refer to the Chiavi della Città platform, while all other interested schools can send their request to HAEU.education@eui.eu.

Kindergarten programme

• “Once upon a time... the EU” 

Kindergarten and elementary school programmes 

• The telephone game: active citizenship, information and critical thinking at the Historical Archives of the European Union
• Grab your identity backpack! “United in diversity” at the Historical Archives of the European Union 
• Pioneers of European integration
• “My puppet friends Fagiolino and Fagiolina". European citizenship, a friendship without borders through the figures of Ernesto Rossi and Ada Rossi.

Elementary school programme

•  “One, two three! Europe!”– Workshop on oral and visual memory.
  • Songs inspired by the European Union and Ventotene
  • Song inspired by the 70th Anniversary of the Schuman Declaration

Secondary school programme:

• Pioneers of European integration
• Who tells the story of Europe? Sources, disinformation and digital citizenship at the Historical Archives of the European Union
• Wearing identity: exploring representation and costumes in the documents of the Historical Archives of the European Union
• Searching and identifying European citizenship in the documents of the HAEU. From building post-war peace to the construction of today's Europe. 
• Towards a Free and United Europe: the drafting of the Ventotene Manifesto
• The Italian Consititution and the European Union. European and Italian citizenship. Rights in a European legal space. 
• "A Cantata for Europe”: Telling the history of European integration in musical language. This project is designed for secondary schools in which music is part of the curriculum. 

To see our work with primary schools in action, please have a look at our video.

If you wish to visit the Historical Archives of the European Union with your class or your group, our Educational team is at your disposal. We also organise tailored projects on different topics related to the European Union and our archive, also for schools from across Europe. Please send us your proposed project and possible dates and we will make you an offer depending on the resources and availability of our educators.

For further information, please send an email.  

Training offers for teachers

As part of its educational programme, the Historical Archives of the European Union (HAEU) offers a range of training opportunities for school teachers, combining in-depth knowledge of European integration with innovative pedagogical approaches and teaching resources.

The HAEU's education team organises online training sessions in collaboration with the Direzione Istruzione del Comune di Firenze and the Ufficio Scolastico Regionale per la Toscana. These sessions address topics related to the European integration process and current challenges facing the European Union, including democracy and citizenship, freedom of movement, solidarity, migration, civic education, and sustainable development. They also explore innovative teaching methods and approaches.

Each session consists of a 90-minute videoconference divided into three parts:

• Thematic presentation: an introduction to the topic by the HAEU
• Pedagogical approaches and resources: practical methods and materials for teaching the topic in the classroom
• Roundtable discussion: an opportunity for participants to exchange ideas, discuss their teaching experiences, explore different perspectives, and develop new teaching skills.

To register and to read the full programme of this training cycle for Italian schools, consult the Chiavi della Città platform.

In addition to online training, the HAEU collaborates with Europass Teacher Academy to offer tailored training opportunities, including the week-long course "A Journey Through European History and Values at the Historical Archives of the European Union." Half-day workshops are also organised for participants attending other courses, many of which explore the European dimension of teaching. These include "Project-Based Learning (PBL) in Museums and Cultural Heritage Sites" and "Teaching Diversity through Heritage: Florence as a Case Study".

The HAEU can also develop tailor-made training programmes for individual schools, networks of educational collaboration, and Erasmus+ projects. These programmes are designed to meet specific educational needs, with a particular focus on developing inclusive teaching approaches and educational tools. A valuable example of this work is the HAEU's collaboration with the European Schools of Brussels IV and Luxembourg I.

The HAEU welcomes suggestions for new training opportunities and educational initiatives. For further information or to propose a collaboration, please contact us here. 

Opportunity for trainers on educational projects at the HAEU

The HAEU hires external trainers on a rolling basis to support the implementation of educational projects on the history of the European Union and its institutions for young people enrolled in primary and secondary schools (Scuole elementari, scuole secondarie di primo e secondo grado) in Florence and its surroundings.

Call for expressions of interest

Documentation and resources

For an analysis of our work with lower and upper secondary schools, please refer to the evaluation report on the 2024-25 academic year.