Empowering Tomorrow: Student Advocacy and Educational Transformation at the European School Student Convention

In today’s rapidly changing society, we must stand our ground. Advocacy is a part of fighting for our causes. This quest is certainly not the easiest one out there, but in order to fight for any cause, we must be prepared. For this reason, OBESSU aims to act as aplatform where students are able to argue their ideas and if possible reconstruct new ones. A perfect example of that is the European School Student Convention (ESSC), organised by OBESSU and that took place in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The event brought together more than 25 students from many different countries and backgrounds. The convention started on the 14th and lasted till the 17th of July. 

During this 4-day-long adventure, we didn’t just focus on advocacy or how we exercise our right of free speech as individuals; we became also part of the bigger picture. Participating in this event, we became part of OBESSU’s ongoing project called: ‘Time Capsule – Education 2040’. In short, the project aims to shift the direction of Europe’s education in the upcoming circa 15 years, in hopes of reaching a more progressive and inclusive school environment all over the continent. 

Our activity concluded the second phase of the project, with the first one focusing on the research component and thus conducted prior to Vilnius.  The third and last  phase includes the Editorial Team’s meeting which will take place in Mollina, Spain as one of the activities of the University on Youth and Development (NSC – CoE).

The workshops were based on non-formal and informal learning and focused on advocacy and student rights. Engaging in these activities, we realized that it is not enough just to know about different tools and methods of advocacy;we also need real-life examples and case studies to guide us to the actual goal of this journey, which is to act, to be the change, and to be the one who will put all these thoughts into practice… Because otherwise, they would sink into the abyss… Hand in hand with our future.

I am glad I could be part of this amazing experience. It was nice to meet other like-minded students who also strive to make us progress.

Written by: András Máté Mizera (Matteo) from the Hungarian Civil Union