Moving Europe. Karel Verleye, founding father of Ryckevelde:

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1 Moving Europe

2 Moving Europe W H O W E A R E Ryckevelde is a non-profit organisation promoting European citizenship. The organisation is located in Damme, Belgium. It was founded as a Centre of Europe by Karel Verleye in As a pioneer of the European cooperation, he was also founder of the College of Europe in Bruges in As we are an organisation based in Flanders, most of our activities target a Flemish audience. However, we run several activities and projects for European audiences as well. We promote European citizenship through two main pillars: Understanding Europe and Experiencing Europe. E u r o p e : f o r t h e p e o p l e Karel Verleye, founding father of Ryckevelde: Above all, Europe should be there for the people. It should not be a bureaucratic, economical boa constrictor. Besides, nobody falls in love with an internal market. The human side, the forgotten aspects of the European debate, should prevail.

3 U N D E R S T A N D I N G E U R O P E Ryckevelde wants people to understand what Europe is about. Our activities strengthen the knowledge on Europe and improve democratic skills like opinion making and compromising. Each year, it is a true pleasure to book Ryckevelde for a training session for my pupils. The trainers are experts in many subjects on the European Union. They are enthusiastic and bring the complicated matter of the European Union in a clear and attractive way. They also encourage pupils to discuss and think for themselves. Anne, teacher at a secondary school in Ghent, Belgium T r a i n i n g s e s s i o n s How many member states does the EU currently count? Who is this new president? And what exactly does Europe do for me? Since the early sixties, Ryckevelde has been giving training sessions to both youngsters in education and adults. The sessions vary in topic and method. Clear basic information on the EU, a debate on the future challenges or an educational game on the trade relations between North and South: Ryckevelde has an offer for every audience, always adapting the contents and style to the group in front. Understanding Europe We have experience with training sessions in Dutch, English and in French and are used to working with groups from all over Europe.

4 E u r o p e a n c o n f e r e n c e s Ryckevelde organises European conferences for youngsters and adults from different European countries. Next to meeting each other, participants discuss (future) challenges of the European Union. I n t e n s i v e t r a c k s The cooperation of my school with Ryckevelde was an awesome experience. For me, Europe remained a complete mystery until this cooperation. I used to skip all news on the European Union, because it seemed too complicated and I was not interested. Ever since this simulation session I have felt more involved with Europe and now I take a much bigger interest in European news items. Tom, journalism student E d u c a t i o n a l m a t e r i a l E v e n t s We always organise conferences as a third party. We are hired for our experience in providing a well-balanced, tailor-made programme for those involved in the conference. We are used to working with both youngsters and adults. During a simulation session of the European Council, participants play the role of a European head of state. This way they experience how the European Council functions and how to compromise. We call this an intensive track because participants need to prepare this simulation day well beforehand. Our booklets and educational packages allow everyone to work individually. We have an offer for primary and secondary schools, higher education institutions and also for adults. With different starting points, themes or target audiences, we always present the information in a creative way. We offer for example a web quest for primary school children, a news paper with interactive exercises for secondary school pupils or an adventure quest through Brussels for participants from 16 years old onwards. You can download most of our educational material for free from our website. We make new material on request. Ryckevelde organises or co-organises several events each year. Two of them are a tradition: the State of the European Union in the week of 9th of May, the European day, and the Prize / Debate Karel Verleye. Next to these, you can find us at other, more occasional, events. We always bring something new to our audience. When we take part in celebrating the European day at the European Parliament in Brussels for example, we offer visitors an interactive stand that makes them think about a particular European topic. C a m p a i g n How important is Europe in our daily lives? Every year we communicate the answer loudly and clearly: Very! Did you know that 80% of our legislation is determined by Europe? We bring this message differently each year in order to reach a big audience. Read about our actions on the campaign website The adventure quest of 2010 exists in English as well and is a fun way to discover the European quarter in Brussels.

5 E X P E R I E N C I N G E U R O P E How can you experience Europe personally? Ryckevelde supports schools and adult education organisations in their international (exchange) projects. In this way, we encourage as many people as possible to experience the European vibe. International projects are more than just a physical crossing of borders. They mean a tremendous inner enrichment. This is proven by the enthusiasm of hundreds of teachers that took the dive into international cooperation projects. I n f o s e s s i o n s o n i n t e r n a t i o n a l p r o j e c t s Teachers who do not know how to set up international projects can turn to Ryckevelde for help. During our information sessions we give an overview of all possibilities of internationalisation and practical tips and tricks. Twice a year we also organise a monitoring day for those involved in a Comenius project. We also have info days on the European Grundtvig programme. Experiencing Europe

6 Last year you helped me so much with filling out the application form for our project. We just got back now from our exchange with a school from the Czech Republic... it was amazing! Frederik, teacher at a secondary school in Menen M a n u a l s a n d b r o c h u r e s Our manuals offer the perfect background knowledge on international projects. The brochure Horizon for example, sums up all necessary information on how to set up and run an international project. Teachers can download most of the manuals and brochures for free from our website. We also gather several practical tools on our website. Teachers find tools to communicate, evaluate or disseminate the results of their project. P a r t n e r f i n d i n g It is a logical thing: to get involved in an international project, you need partners from abroad. But how do you find them? Ryckevelde gathers existing databases on its website and spreads partner finding ads. Each fall we organise a Comenius contact seminar for school teachers from all over Europe. During a four day meeting in Bruges participants get to know each other and the practicalities of setting up a Comenius project. Many nice partnerships already resulted from this yearly inter national meeting. S u p p o r t c e n t r e We are a support centre for all Flemish teachers who want to set up or run an international project with their school or institution. If despite all the information sessions, manuals and tools they still have doubts or questions about their project, they can turn to our helpdesk for individual support. We offer this for free.

7 P R A C T I C A L I T I E S Where? Ryckevelde Damme Belgium Contact? Tel + 32 (0) fax + 32 (0) info@ryckevelde.be W h a t s i n i t f o r y o u? We are very experienced in explaining Europe in an educational, yet fun way, and in creating original concepts on the European integration. Interested in working with us? We are happy to discuss every possible cooperation, from creating new projects to adjusting our existing concepts or collaborating in a joint project. Do contact us for more information.