MISSION STATEMENT
European School Network (ESN) is a network of (upper) secondary schools all over Europe that work on mutual understanding through personal contacts to improve the quality of education in the context of the growing reality of European citizenship and lifelong learning.
BELIEFS
ESN believes that the growing impact of the European Union in our societies and daily lives urges schools to work together and think more and more internationally.
ESN believes that, since we are not only citizens of our own countries but also of the world around us, we have a common responsibility to work on international problems.
ESN believes that schools have the duty to help their students become responsible, social and cooperative people who face the reality of European citizenship with an open mind.
ESN believes that a network of friendships challenges schools to foster a professional attitude towards intercultural affairs and the school systems themselves.
ESN believes that this vision should not be limited to individual school leaders or teachers, but be implemented throughout the whole school (committee) and the curriculum.
ESN believes that in order to strengthen the network and enhance cooperation between its members it is imperative to maintain personal contacts between school leaders and teachers through regular conferences and visits.
ESN believes that exchange programs between students and teachers are the most important ways of working toward our goals.
ESN believes that we need a good and adequate organisational structure to realise our aims and beliefs and to present our network to other people and organisations.
ESN believes that, as the network contributes to the European thought, we are entitled to support from the European Union.
AIMS
ESN wants to create an inspiring, open and safe environment for friendships between schools and students from all over Europe.
In this way ESN wants to increase mutual understanding in order to improve the quality of our schools and sustain peace and welfare in Europe.
By building these bridges ESN wants to stimulate the finding of a common ground and respect for the diverse cultural values.
ESN KEY VALUES
Friendship, openness, commitment, trust
ESN aims to create an inspiring, open and safe environment for discovering new friendships between students and teachers from all over Europe. We believe friendship is the first step on the way to feeling brotherhood, sisterhood and solidarity towards each other.
Building new friendships across cultures means opening your eyes, your mind and your heart. Within ESN it very often means you also open up your home to others. Openness allows you to explore different views, dive into a foreign culture, try out new things and change your views and your attitude.
Discovering new people and ideas can lead to enthusiasm, but it’s only through commitment that ESN will keep on moving forward. Only the involvement of all partners (students, parents, teachers, school management) and their willingness to invest time and energy enables us to reach our goals.
All of the above – building friendships, being open and committed – will reinforce the trust that we have decided to show one another when ESN first started. It’s the mutual trust that makes us feel like a family and allows us to continue building bridges across cultures.
The participants of the ESN students' conference 2015 contributed by adding three more essential values to the list: respect, co-operation and sociability.
ESN PRINCIPLES
FINDING A GOOD EXCHANGE PARTNER
ESN "selfie"
1
Exchange students must be well-behaved and succeed well in their studies. The age limit is 15
unless they have superior approval.
2
Students are free to choose any ESN school or country.
3
The stays last from seven days to two months.
4
Students who stay with host families abroad also commit themselves to accommodating a student in their own home in return (one-to-one exchange) while students who cannot provide accommodation but want to travel must find another host family with a student of the same school for their exchange partner.
5
Host families provide meals and
adequate lodging for the student.
6
Students pay for travel expenses themselves.
7
Students must have a health insurance
that is valid in Europe.
8
During the exchange students must attend lessons as instructed by the host school coordinator and complete assignments as instructed by their teachers or the sending coordinator in the home country.
9
During the exchange students must follow the rules of both the sending school and the host school.
10
Students' parents or guardians must be aware
of all the rules and sign the
