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What is a European Parliament Junior Ambassador?

Updated: Apr 27


Yellow "Ambassador" badge with a European Parliament logo on a blue lanyard reading "USP College student," placed on a wooden surface.
Pictured: A USP College student lanyard with a European Parliament Junior Ambassador badge attached.

In the EPAS programme, students at participating schools and colleges are designated as European Parliament Junior Ambassadors by their teachers and the European Parliament. So, what is a European Parliament Junior Ambassador? And what do they do?


European Parliament Junior Ambassadors are meant to represent the European Parliament in their school and their local community, and are expected to organise a series of activities, events and projects which promote Europe and the aims of EPAS leading up to the end of the academic year, when Europe celebrates the annual Europe Day holiday on the 9th of May to mark peace and unity across the continent.


While teachers become European Parliament Senior Ambassadors, their role is more to do with the educational aspect of the programme. They teach European values and European parliamentary democracy to their junior ambassadors. Although the senior ambassadors support and guide them through the programme, the actual work itself is down to the junior ambassadors, who are expected by the European Parliament to organise activities, projects and events in the programme.


It is for this reason that the programme is usually student-led in the schools that participate, with the senior ambassadors taking a more hands off approach, though in some schools they also take a direct role in organising or leading activities on the junior ambassadors' behalf.


At the end of the academic year, the European Parliament judges the junior ambassadors on their work, who are then officially accredited by the parliament for their ambassadorial work if it deems them successful in their efforts to deliver the programme.


Seven people, six in blue hoodies with certificates, one in dark suit, standing indoors. Wooden background with bowls and window.
Pictured: Senior ambassadors Amy McGready and Darren Cogavin and junior ambassadors Isabelle Dawson, Jayden O'Brien, Sebastian Rapley Mende and Shaunak Gupta receive certificates of accreditation for their work as junior ambassadors. Beside them is Stephen Clark, the Director of the European Parliament Liaison Offices.

So, with that out of the way, what kind of activities, projects and events do European Parliament Junior Ambassadors organise?


In most countries, including the UK, a core part of the EPAS programme is the creation of EPAS infopoints at participating schools and colleges. Junior ambassadors are expected to set up a physical or digital infopoint for their schools, which will provide their compatriots with

with a single point of reference where they can find all the latest news and activities from the programme in their school, as well as all the important information about Europe and EPAS as a whole.


In other words, the EPAS infopoint acts as a sort of school noticeboard for the programme; it is meant to be regularly updated by junior ambassadors, so other students and teachers can see what they've been up to.


Bulletin board with "EPAS AT PALMERS" in yellow. Displays include a "Register to Vote" poster, a map, a "What is EPAS"? flyer and various flags on a blue background.
Pictured: The EPAS infopoint at Palmer's Campus.

In addition to setting up the infopoint, junior ambassadors typically organise debates in their schools about the important European political issues of the day, like Brexit and the question of Britain's membership of the European Union, a proposed rise in defence spending amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the increasing influence of artificial intelligence.


Other activities organised by junior ambassadors include trips, political campaigns, mock elections and referendums, political activism, climate change initiatives, archival work, local volunteering, democratic learning and international student exchange programmes, among many others. Mock referendums and elections cover several topics, such as those debated above, and more broadly questions such as which party should be elected into government.


Junior ambassadors also invite external speakers into their schools, such as their local, national or regional political representatives (like councillors, mayors, police, fire and crime commissioners or MPs) and also former or serving members of the European Parliament (MEPs). External speakers often take part in Q&As and debates with the ambassadors and other students.


There is also a digital aspect, for junior ambassadors are naturally expected to keep their fellow students as well as their local communities informed about their work. This is partly accomplished through the infopoint, but more must be done to ensure that people from outside school know about the EPAS programme and ambassadors' activities.


This is where social media comes in. The European Parliament expects junior ambassadors to set up social media channels and networks so that their local communities and followers stay in the loop. Typically, this will include pages on Instagram and Twitter, but may also include TikTok, YouTube and other social media networks.


Collage of posts: European flags, Black History Month, EPAS trips, and disability awareness. Text highlights dates and themes.
Pictured: The EPAS at USP College Instagram page, as seen on an IPhone 15.

Here at USP College, the EPAS team has set up regularly updated accounts on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Flickr. On these channels, junior ambassadors post the latest news and updates. Social media collaborations have also been done with the European Parliament in the UK and local groups such as the Old Palmerian Association.


Interested in becoming a European Parliament Junior Ambassador? If you attend USP College's Seevic or Palmer's campuses then you can begin the journey towards becoming one by contacting the lead members of our team, whose details can be viewed here on our Meet the Team page!

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