Discover Schools in and around Brussels

As part of the Conference on Hope, participants are invited to visit schools in and around Brussels. The House of European History mobilised its educational network to recruit the participating schools, ensuring a diverse representation of educational contexts and approaches. These visits provide insight into how different systems implement citizenship, European perspectives and active pedagogies in everyday classroom practice.

To support participants’ understanding of the local context, a briefing note has been developed, in collaboration with EuroClio, outlining the diversity of educational systems in Brussels and Belgium, as well as a code of conduct for school visits. In addition, the European Schools, longstanding educational partners of the House of European History, have provided a concept note explaining how they address history and European history through multi perspectivity within their curriculum framework.

Across networks and levels, students act as presenters, researchers and discussion partners. The visits demonstrate how classroom structures can foster participation, responsibility and confidence. Observing these approaches in practice allows participants to reflect on transferable strategies for their own contexts.

Visits take place either during regular school time, enabling classroom observation, or, due to the holiday period in the Communauté française en Belgique, in a teacher focused format with presentation and professional exchange. The format is specified in each description.

Date: Tuesday, 28 April 2026

Time: 09:00 – 11:00

Meeting Point: Station Europe at 08:00

Participating Schools

Athénée Royal de Rixensart–Wavre

“We Remember”: A Transdisciplinary Remembrance Project

Part of the Wallonie-Bruxelles Enseignement network and a member of the EPAS School Network, the school presents its English language immersion programme and a long-term remembrance project developed with final year secondary students.

The project explores the stories of Belgian resistance fighters deported to the Struthof concentration camp. Combining history and foreign language learning through project based and inquiry-based approaches, students transformed historical research into creative “lapbooks”. The project was officially recognised and funded by the Ministry of Education.

Participants will explore teaching materials and evaluation tools and discuss how remembrance education can be integrated into secondary education.

Main information

Network: Wallonie-Bruxelles Enseignement
EPAS School Network; Erasmus+
Level: Upper secondary
Subjects: History and geography (English immersion)
Pedagogy: Project based learning; inquiry-based learning
Format: Teacher presentation and exchange (no students present due to
school holidays)
Language: English
Accessibility: Staircase
Maximum capacity: 15 participants

Busleyden Atheneum Pitzemburg

Citizenship in Action: A Whole School Approach

Busleyden Atheneum Pitzemburg is part of GO! Education of the Flemish Community and is both an EPAS and UNESCO school.

The visit focuses on the school’s whole school approach to project-based citizenship education in a third year lower secondary class. Projects integrate subject knowledge, skills and civic engagement, encouraging responsibility and active participation.

Participants will observe students conducting street interviews and examine how citizenship education is embedded structurally across the curriculum. The visit includes classroom observation and professional exchange.

Main information

Network: GO! Education of the Flemish Community
EPAS School Network; UNESCO school
Level: Lower secondary (third year)
Age group: 15 years
Students involved: 20
Subjects: Citizenship Education; Humanities; Communication
Pedagogy: Project based learning; inquiry-based learning; citizenship and heritage education
Format: School presentation; classroom observation; exchange with teachers
Language: English
Transport: Train, short walk
Maximum capacity: 15 participants

GO Kompaz Zaventem

Teaching History through Project Based and Inquiry Based Learning

GO Kompaz Zaventem, part of the Flemish Community education system and member of the EPAS School Network, presents its pedagogical approach to history teaching at upper secondary level.

The programme includes a school presentation, guided tour and classroom observation. Particular focus is given to how project-based learning and inquiry-based learning support citizenship education, heritage education and digital learning.

Participants will observe students presenting and engaging in discussion, followed by structured exchange with teachers.

Main information

Network: Flemish Community educatio
EPAS School Network

Level: Upper secondary
Focus: History teaching; pedagogical project
Pedagogy: Project based learning; inquiry-based learning; citizenship; heritage; digital learning
Format: Presentation; school tour; classroom observation; exchange with teachers and students
Students involved: 2 student presenters
Language: English (Dutch and French possible)
Public transport: Train
Maximum capacity: 15 participants

European School Brussels I – Uccle

Multilingual Education and Creative History Learning

European School Brussels I offers education across multiple language sections within the European Schools system.

The visit begins with a guided tour of the school presenting the organisation of the school and its multilingual environment. Participants will not observe a live lesson. Instead, a selection of student work samples from a lower secondary history unit (ages 13–14) on Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome will be presented. The work forms part of a project-based learning sequence in which students develop creative scrapbooks.

The presentation illustrates how student autonomy and creative representation can strengthen engagement and pride in learning. The visit combines an institutional overview, a guided tour and a pedagogical presentation of student work.

Main information

System: European Schools

Level: Nursery and Primary to Secondary
Focus: Multilingual education; history teaching; inclusive education
Pedagogy: Project based learning; visible thinking routines
Format: Guided school tour; presentation of student work; pedagogical exchange
Students involved: 26 (work presented; no live classroom observation)
Language: English (second language for most students)
Maximum capacity: 15 participants

European School Brussels II – Woluwe (Primary)

Student Voice, Sustainability and Cross Curricular Learning

European School Brussels II provides nursery, primary and secondary education within the European Schools system.

The visit offers an overview of school organisation and ethos, followed by a tour of key spaces. Selected student led and whole school projects will be presented, including a project on living together, titled the ‘Value Flower Challenge’, as well as another environmental project as part of European Hours (the Eco-ambassadors project).

Participants will explore how multilingual education, sustainability and citizenship education are implemented through active teaching methods across cycles.

Main information

System: European Schools
Levels: Primary
Focus: Student led projects; sustainability; citizenship education
Pedagogy: Active teaching methods; cross curricular learning
Format: Welcome by Deputy Directors; school tour; project presentations; exchange
Language: English
Accessibility: Elevator available; SEN support provided
Security: ID card required; visitor badge issued
Public transport: Bus, short walk

1 session

Maximum capacity session 1: 15 participants

European School Brussels II – Woluwe (Secondary)

Student Voice, Sustainability and Cross Curricular Learning

European School Brussels II provides nursery, primary and secondary education within the European Schools system.

The visit offers an overview of school organisation and ethos, followed by a tour of key spaces. Selected student led and whole school projects will be presented, including BRUMUN, Biodiversity Days.

Participants will explore how multilingual education, sustainability and citizenship education are implemented through active teaching methods across cycles.

Main information

System: European Schools
Levels: Secondary
Focus: Student led projects; sustainability; citizenship education
Pedagogy: Active teaching methods; cross curricular learning
Format: Welcome by Deputy Directors; school tour; project presentations; exchange
Language: English
Accessibility: Elevator available; SEN support provided
Security: ID card required; visitor badge issued
Public transport: Bus, short walk

1 sessions

Maximum capacity session 2: 15 participants

European School Brussels IV – Laeken (Primary)

European Hours and Citizenship in Primary Education

European School Brussels IV provides primary education within the European Schools system.

The visit focuses on the European Hours subject and its interdisciplinary approach to European values, citizenship, sustainability and inclusion. After a guided tour, participants will attend a presentation of European Hours and student projects from the Student Council. Pupils aged 9–11 will present their work.

The visit highlights how active participation and shared decision making are fostered at primary level.

Main information