EU and Me Competition 2026
About EU and Me
The “EU and Me” competition is a place-based research project that helps primary and post-primary students learn how local communities across Ireland connect to Europe and how young people can help shape the world around them.
Inspired by the primary school book Ireland’s EU Presidency: Ní neart go cur le Chéile and the post-primary A Young Person’s Guide to the Irish EU Presidency, children and young people will work together (groups of 4+) to identify a local issue and explore how the EU has and can respond to make the daily lives of EU citizens better.
This competition offers young people to creatively engage with Ireland’s EU Presidency as well as respond to Ireland’s Presidency priorities and the impact of the EU in their daily lives and local communities.
The "EU and Me" competition is open to both primary and post-primary aged students and is organised in partnership the Drumcondra Education Support Centre and Dublin City University.
The competition supports learning across a range of subjects such as Social and Environmental Education, Languages, Mathematics, Science, Technology and Engineering Education, Wellbeing and Arts Education.
Competition Opening Date: 21 September 2026
Closing Date: 27 November 2026
The "EU and Me"
From 1 July to 31 December 2026, Ireland holds the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Ireland’s EU Presidency sees Ireland take on a major role in shaping the EU agenda, and moving forward legislation and policies that have major impacts on the everyday lives of communities across Ireland and the EU.
Young people have been consulted on the development of Ireland’s Presidency priorities and have an important part to play in the national conversation ongoing during the Presidency, on Ireland’s role in the EU. This competition offers children and young people the chance to have their voices heard on an EU level, with shortlisted entries invited to meet key EU policy-makers in Dublin and present their action plans.
Children and young people are impacted by many policies discussed in EU-level meetings, and often have important perspectives on the issues addressed such as equality, climate, or health.
The "EU and Me" Competition asks young people to examine some of the topics the EU is working on and how they impact their local communities, and present an action plan to address a local issue.
This competition will enhance understanding of the impact of the EU in Ireland and Ireland’s influential role in the EU, as well as empower young people to get involved and make their voice heard.
Who can participate?
The competition is divided into two categories, reflecting the publication used to develop entries.
Working with Ireland’s EU Presidency: Ní neart go cur le chéile, all students in primary schools and special schools can enter.
Working with A Young Person’s Guide to the Irish EU Presidency, and the official Presidency Policy Programme, post-primary students in first to third year, or transition year and other educational settings, can enter.
Competition theme
In groups (minimum of 4 students per group), students can choose one of the ten Council Configurations below which make up the Council of the European Union.
Students may wish to look at the primary school book Ireland’s EU Presidency: Ní neart go cur le Chéile or the post-primary Young Person’s Guide to the Irish EU Presidency for further information on the Council Configurations. Students will then identify a local issue which aligns with a topic addressed by the Council Configuration and explore how the EU can (or already has) responded to similar challenges, presenting an action plan for local improvement.
For further information on the competition theme and format, a recorded webinar hosted by Drumcondra Education Support Centre is available online.
Project formats
- Video project – invites students to create a short video such as a play or film (not exceeding 10 minutes).
- Audio project – invites students to create a piece of audio such as a podcast, song, or spoken word poem (not exceeding 10 minutes).
- Presentation – invites students to create a visual presentation or a written project (maximum word count is 2000 words).
Terms and conditions
Projects may be submitted in either English or Irish.
The project must be original and must be the work of the students. It is important that the projects are clearly written and created by the students and that any assistance given by parents/guardians, teachers and other adults is acknowledged.
We encourage entries that demonstrate original research, use primary and secondary sources and present findings in an engaging and accessible manner.
Any secondary materials (books, journals, websites etc.) must be referenced. To include such material without properly referencing the source will be considered plagiarism.
By entering, participants certify that the entry does not infringe the rights of any third party. Material generated using artificial intelligence (AI) software or applications is not permitted.
It should be noted that success in the "EU and Me" competition should not be considered as any indication of the likely performance by a student or group of students in a State Examination, or in any other competition.
Please note that no feedback will be provided.
Competition stages
Stage 1: Registration
Teachers should register using their school email on the DESC competition platform. Principals will be notified of school participation.
Stage 2: Consent forms
Teachers should seek permissions from parents/guardians/carers of pupils participating in the competition.
Or find them on the DESC competition platform.
When submitting, the teacher will confirm that all consent has been given by the appropriate parent/guardian/carer. Consent forms should be retained by the school as schools may be required to send these to Drumcondra Education Support Centre to confirm at a later stage.
Stage 3: Submission
The class teacher (or other appropriate adult) must submit the project along with confirmation of consent forms by 12 noon on Friday, 27 November.
Teachers and students share responsibility for ensuring that all competition entries respect privacy and data protection principles. Submissions should contain only the information necessary for participation in the competition and should avoid including personal details that could identify a student beyond the required entry information.
Teachers may submit student competition entries in audio, visual (video or digital), or written formats. When preparing a submission, please take care to protect personal information and avoid including unnecessary identifying details.
Stage 4: Judging
The entries will be judged by a panel to be established by Drumcondra Education Support Centre. The decision of the judging panel will be final.
Project guidelines
A. Audio submissions
Audio entries should introduce the student using only basic information.
Suggested format:
"My name is [First Name] and I am in [Class/Year] at [School Name]."
To help protect privacy, students should not include:
- Surnames
- Exact age or date of birth
- Home address
- Telephone numbers
- Email addresses
- Any other personal or family contact details
Teachers should review recordings before submission to ensure no unnecessary personal information is shared.
B. Visual submissions (Video and Digital Projects)
Students are encouraged to be creative while considering their privacy and identity.
Projects can focus on:
- Artwork
- Written work
- Digital presentations or slides
- Animations
- Demonstrations involving the student's hands or project materials
If students appear on camera, consider:
- Filming from the side or behind
- Using wider shots rather than close-up facial views
- Capturing group activities rather than individual, front-facing images
These approaches allow students to participate fully while reducing the amount of personal information that can be identified from the submission.
C. Written submissions (Presentations, Poetry, Essays and Other Text-Based Entries)
Written entries should include only the information required for competition administration.
Please use the following details only:
- First Name
- Class/Year
- School Name
- County
Students should not include:
- Personal contact details
- Home addresses
- Telephone numbers
- Email addresses
- Detailed personal or family information that could identify themselves or others
Teachers should review written submissions to ensure they do not contain unnecessary personal information before they are submitted.
Awards / Prizes
Shortlisted submissions will be invited to Dublin where they will present their submissions to key EU policy-makers.
Each winning entry will receive a high-quality camera along with a pack of digital cameras for use in a classroom.
How to apply
Competition entries can be submitted by teachers online on the DESC competition platform.
Further information
- Visit Ireland2026.eu for more information on the Presidency
- Submit your application here
- Please direct queries regarding the competition to eucompetition@ecdrumcondra.ie
- Children's book
- A young person's guide
- Competition poster to download and print to promote in schools (English version)
- Competition poster to download and print to promote in schools (Irish version)
