European Summer School / Understanding Europe (2024)

For me being a peer-educator means to share my knowledge and experiences with my team and to be able to help them.

For me being a peer educator means making young people realizes about the importance of Europe in our current society and that we have the chance of changing people's lives.

As a peer educator I would like to be part of change, as well as to support and motivate young adults to become active for what is important for them.

When I joined Understanding Europe over two years ago, my primary goal was to educate students about the function and workings of the European Union while connecting with a network of passionate young people across Europe. In my role as a peer educator with Understanding Europe, I aim to act as a multiplier, imparting knowledge and inspiring like-minded people to lead workshops in schools to engage with students.

One of the things that I truly appreciate about Understanding Europe is the interconnectedness in which we, as volunteers, engage in various roles and capacities of the Network. Having experiences of contributing as a Digital Europe Fellow and as a co-founder and a peer educator in Türkiye myself, it's extremely rewarding to see UE volunteers leading different roles throughout the years, elevating every aspect UE initiates to enhance democratic citizenship education.

As someone who is fascinated by what young people can achieve when they get together, empowering youth to change the world around them for better is crucial for me. Education is a huge part of this, to equip youth with necessary knowledge and skills. In Understanding Europe, we learn and we help others learn how to create meaningful impact through awareness and collaboration.

Being part of a transnational team of young people promoting values including social and climate justice makes me hopeful for the future of Europe.

As Nelson Mandela said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. Thus, to me, being a Peer educator means involving more people in the process of shaping a brighter, more democratic and inclusive future for Europe.

I want to remind my peers that they should be brave enough to voice there opinions and reflect them. Every perspective is valid and needed to understand our surroundings and ongoing developments. Change starts with yourself. Gradually change can be carried out by different people around the world. If one person brings little change, there might be more people, who will feel inspired to bring more little change. No change is ever too little!

I really enjoy working with pupils and concurrently love the idea of a connected Europe - so Peer-Educating for Understanding Europe is just the best of both worlds really.

Education is a powerful weapon. Raising awareness among young people about the future is essential. Europe is their future.

Being a peed educator allows me to truly participate in civic Life as a European. Furthermore, this role will allow me to inform others who might feel far from the "world" and the European question which unfortunately remains put aside in many educational environments (schools).

Education is the most powerful we can have to grow and reshape ourselves as individuals and in community. At Understanding Europe, our peer educational approach helps the democracy, diversity, and participation concepts to be more tangible.

By being a Peer Educator through UE, I am certain I will gain the right tools and mindset to have the youth feel seen, valued and prepared to critically engage and contribute for a better, more dignified future for all – regardless of any level of their personal context.

Understanding Europe Ukraine has shown me how empowering education and knowledge truly is. I am grateful for the ability to offer space for open discussion and the free exchange of ideas for our young people. In return, they never fail to fascinate and inspire me with their energy and eagerness to learn, to question, and to work for a better future. Archimedes said, ‘If you give me a lever and a place to stand, I can move the world.’ I want to believe that with UE we are offering both.

Witnessing the growth and development of the volunteers I train and knowing that they will go on to educate and inspire students in Armenian schools, fills me with a profound sense of purpose. Being a catalyst for positive change and helping to shape the future of education in my country is an incredibly rewarding experience.

Understanding Europe transformed me, opening doors to connections and a deeper understanding of our world. Now, as a Peer Educator, I'm excited to inspire the leaders of tomorrow and be a small part of their big journey!

I have chosen to be a Peer Educator because I truly believe in the empowerment and educative potential of Understanding Europe educational material. Being in charge of training future/current trainers is one of my love languages towards this network.

Being part of this network inspires me everyday. I feel like I’m constantly challenging myself and my point of view and I get to know amazing people who work really hard, step by step, to build something great for the future of Europe: a future that belongs to all of us! And I could not be more excited and honored to become a Peer Educator so that I will be able to convey how fulfilling and enriching is to be part of this project and share my past experience with new trainers full of hope and dedication!

During these past few years Understanding gave me so much in terms of gaining skills, knowledge, human connections. I’m super exited to be a Peer Educator and thus be able to involve more people in this amazing project!

"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." This is a quote that has stuck with me for most of my life and was a motivation for me to become not just a trainer for Understanding Europe Romania but also a Peer Educator. There is hope and excitement in working with young people and sharing European values.