Jan van Brabant wins prize for cross-border cooperation

The Jan van Brabant College has won prizes at the Euregional School Competition. The Helmond school, together with the German partner school Städtisches Gymnasium Straelen, received an award for ‘Successful cross-border cooperation’. This happened last Wednesday in the Safari Meeting Center at Burger’s Zoo in Arnhem.

As part of the Euregional School Competition with the theme ‘democracy’, the three hundred Dutch and German students created podcasts, songs, campaign videos and talk shows, among other things. They also founded various political parties. During the announcement in the Safari Meeting Center in Burgers’ Zoo, the most creative entries were rewarded. The Jan van Brabant College also won prizes.

Political party
The partner schools Jan van Brabant College Helmond and Städtisches Gymnasium Straelen received an award for ‘Successful cross-border cooperation’. For this purpose, students from both schools jointly founded a political party. They then explained the positions of this political party in a radio show. The prizes, from cinema vouchers to chocolate and from a chip van in the schoolyard to various outings, were received with great enthusiasm by all prize winners.

In conversation
In November and December 2023, the students were introduced to the theme of the competition for the first time. And with each other. They met in the De Lindenberg cultural center in Nijmegen to attend various workshops on the theme of democracy. There appeared to be no language barrier between the Dutch and German students, says Heidi de Ruiter of the Rhine-Waal Euregion: “The best thing about the School Competition is seeing how students always start talking to each other. Even though they always find it a bit exciting in the beginning.” Trixie Hölsgens, education employee at the Germany Institute Amsterdam and jury member of the Schools Competition, also showed her enthusiasm: “I am very happy that the Euregio Rhine-Waal chose the subject of democracy in the Euregional Schools Competition. It is very current. And you also notice that it is alive and well among students, both in the Netherlands and Germany.”

Creative excesses
After the workshops, the students worked in groups on their own submissions in recent months. Nearly three hundred students from eleven schools in the Netherlands and Germany took part in the School Competition. In the ‘Dutch schools’ category, Pantarijn Wageningen stood head and shoulders above the other schools. This school took home the first, second and third prizes. The groups each founded their own political party and made a campaign film or party program for this. In the ‘German schools’ category, founding a political party was also a favorite. The Städtisches Gymnasium Straelen, the partner school of the Jan van Brabant College, won the third prize.

‘Beastly’ touch
A beastly touch to the meeting could of course not be missed thanks to the location. For example, two employees of Burgers’ Zoo gave a presentation about democracy in the animal kingdom. It was well received by the students thanks to its interactive nature. There was also a musical accompaniment. 18-year-old Anne Mosters, known from ‘The Voice of Germany’, performed a number of songs with her beautiful voice. After the award ceremony, the students still had the opportunity to explore the zoo on their own.