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Brussels is a fantastic place to take enthusiastic pupils as it is a historic, beautiful and politically important city. As the home of the European Parliament, Brussels is the ad-ministrative capital of the EU. This makes it a superb place to take politics and history students (although educational visits here can be highly-valuable for all young minds). The European Parliament is a brilliant place to visit with students as there are many educational and exciting experiences that will inspire pupils and help with teaching back in the classroom. Here is what you can expect on educational visits to this exciting desti-nation with a group of secondary school students. The Parliamentarium The Parliamentarium is a spectacular visitors’ centre filled with impressive multimedia and interactive components for a highly engaging and informative experience. It includes an immersive 360° cinema which reveals how Parliament works, how laws are created and how EU politics has an impact on everyone in the European Union. Other highlights include an interactive floor map which takes pupils on a virtual tour of the EU and reveals all the ways that it benefits citizens, as well as a wall where you can find out about each of the 751 Members of the European Parliament. The Parliamentarium also hosts temporary exhibitions and visits can be tailored to suit any area of interest. The Hemicycle The Hemicycle gives your students the unique opportunity to see the world’s biggest transnational parliament and immerse themselves in the exciting atmosphere found here. As the heart of European democracy, the Hemicycle has been the setting for many historic and important votes over the years, making it an important landmark. It is capa-ble of seating all 751 members but it is also open to visitors – bear in mind that a valid identity document is required to access the buildings. Role Play Game One of the most valuable experiences for those on educational visits here is the fun role-playing game at The Parliamentarium. This fantastic game enables the class to step into the shoes of EU Members and negotiate new legislation after being divided into imagi-nary political groups. Participants will need to work together and negotiate to tackle im-portant issues, including the implications of advancing technology and the scarcity of wa-ter. In addition to educating the group on how the European Parliament operates, this game can also help to develop important skills and could inspire some students to pursue politics in further education. As you can see, educational visits to the European Parliament in Brussels can be a fun, memorable and valuable experience to any secondary school student. Organising a trip of this scale can be complex, so it is worth seeking out a specialist educational tour op-erator to organise the trip and make the most of your class’s time in Brussels. Author Plate John Gardiner is the Managing Director of The School Travel Company, a tour operator specialising in educational visits for school and youth groups to the UK, Europe and beyond. As a father and avid traveller, John is very passionate about providing students with valuable and engaging learning experiences outside of the classroom. By sharing his expert advice with teachers, he allows them to inspire their students and bring their studies to life.
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