On June 16 and 17, 2025, three 10th-grade students from the Instituto de Batea traveled to Brussels as part of the prize for winning the “What Does Europe Mean to You?” contest, organized by the Catalunya Europa Foundation. Over the course of two days, Laia, Carla, and Aina, accompanied by their tutor Alberto and the school coordinator Tere, had the opportunity to learn firsthand how European institutions operate and to speak with professionals working within them.

On the first day, they visited the European Parliament’s hemicycle and met with Sergi Zorrilla, chief of staff to MEP Diana Riba, who explained the work of parliamentary assistants and the daily routine of the institution. After lunch, they visited the Parlamentarium, an interactive space on the history and functioning of the European Union. In the afternoon, they had time to stroll through the city center and explore Brussels’ institutional and historical environment.

The following day began with a visit to the House of European History, followed by a meeting with Jordi Harrison, trustee of the Catalunya Europa Foundation, at the Committee of the Regions, where they discussed the role of local and regional governments in the EU. In the afternoon, they met with journalist Júlia Manresa, with whom they discussed the role of women in European development and institutional communication from Brussels. Their final meeting was with Blanca Soler, director of the International Relations Office of the Diputació de Barcelona, who explained how this institution operates at the European level.

Through this visit, the three students had the opportunity to gain an up-close understanding of European politics and to connect with people involved in it from various fields.