Veldenz-Gymnasium becomes the European school: a step for tolerance!

Veldenz-Gymnasium becomes the European school: a step for tolerance!

On February 14, 2025, the Veldenz-Gymnasium Lauterecken was awarded the coveted Label European School. It is the smallest high school in Rhineland-Palatinate that receives this honor. Headmaster Stefan Weber described the award as strengthening recognition for the school's efforts to promote a united Europe.

The see maintains partnerships with five schools in different European countries, including Finland, France, Poland, Greece and Spain. The school pursues values ​​such as freedom, tolerance, solidarity and democracy, which are considered centrally considered to be the philosophy of education. Weber emphasized the crucial role of schools in creating a supportive European community.

Intercultural learning and Erasmus Plus

Intercultural learning has been very important at the Veldenz-Gymnasium since autumn 2021. As part of the ERASMUS Plus program, 61 students took part in projects, supported by 13 out of a total of 35 teachers. The projects are diverse and include aspects such as language acquisition, historical processing, digitization and sustainability.

An important goal of the projects is to promote peaceful coexistence as well as respect and tolerance among the students. Interestingly, participation in these programs takes place regardless of the financial means of parents, which guarantees access for all students. Martin Harz from the ADD (supervisory and service directorate) emphasized the importance of intercultural learning for democracy education, which underlines the relevance of the Erasmus program.

The meaning of the award

The awarding of the Label European School is part of an initiative that has existed since 2015. 26 schools in Rhineland-Palatinate are currently wearing this title. Doris Lax from the Add consortium emphasized the relevance of international exchanges for the students and noticed that the honor should commit the Veldenz-Gymnasium to continue to work for a diverse and solidarity.

The ceremony was rounded off with the performance of the European anthem "Ode to the joy" and shaped the festive framework of the occasion. Kaiser Königstein, who took part in the ceremony, underlined the responsibility that goes hand in hand with this award and called on everyone present to actively live and pass on the values ​​of a united in Europe.

summarized, the Veldenz-Gymnasium Lauterecken makes a significant contribution to intercultural education and thus to promote a respectful and tolerant coexistence in Europe. These efforts are not only supported by Erasmus Plus, but also by other initiatives that examine the influence of modern means of communication on the formation of identity formation of young people. An example of this is the project "Finding Identity in Times of Social Media", which has already received international attention.

The program shows how important the exchange and discussion on relevant topics such as fake news, cyberbullying and political engagement about social media. Students from six countries work together to better understand these central challenges for their generation.

These developments illustrate how educational institutions such as the see to strengthen European cooperation and to promote young people as active and informed citizens. Further information on Erasmus Plus and similar projects are on the page School Education and on the platform erasmus plus available.