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The EU Center provides K-12 teachers with year-round opportunities for professional development, as well as programs and competitions for students to deepen their knowledge of Europe and international affairs. We invite educators and students to participate in our public events, in-person and virtual professional development programs, competitions, and overseas study tours.
Below are our signature K-12 programs, organized by target audience.
For all teachers:
The Transatlantic Educators Lecture Series is a series of online presentations by teachers for teachers on a wide range of education-related issues.
The Summer Curriculum Workshop is offered to K-12 and community college educators to assist them with developing a more effective K-12 and community college curriculum on the EU. The workshop features lectures and interactive sessions led by University of Illinois faculty, experienced K-12 educators, and museum staff.
Please visit the Teachers' Corner page for free resources for teaching on Europe, including lesson plans, videos, and library and web resources.
For U.S. and European teachers:
The Transatlantic Educators Dialogue (TED) is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for teachers in the U.S. and Europe to come together online for shared exploration and examination of topics such as creative pedagogies, youth culture, parental involvement, and technology in the classroom. This program gives participants the opportunity to forge new professional relationships with fellow educators throughout the U.S. and Europe and lays the groundwork for classroom exchanges and other collaborative projects. The 2026 TED program will take place Jan. - March 2026.
The TED Fellows Program is designed to provide alumni of the TED Program with an opportunity to collaborate on transatlantic group projects over the course of a school year.
For U.S. teachers:
Euro Challenge is an exciting opportunity for high school students to learn about the EU and the euro, recommend policies to address economic challenges, and potentially present their ideas at a European embassy in Washington, D.C. on an all-expenses-paid trip. All 9th and 10th graders in the U.S. are eligible to participate, as well as 11th and 12th graders from Title I schools. No prior knowledge of economics is required. The Euro Challenge competitions take place in March-May. Registration for 2025 is now closed.
For Illinois teachers and students:
The Illinois Global Scholar Program is a state-wide initiative meant to bring global competence via a globally-infused curriculum to Illinois secondary school students.
The Illinois High School Translation Competition aims to promote the study of modern world languages and to provide high school students with an opportunity to get hands-on experience in translation. The 2024-25 Translation Competition featured seven languages: German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Polish, Swedish, and Ukrainian.
We encourage you to sign up for our K-14 mailing list to learn about upcoming opportunities, events, and deadlines. If you have questions or suggestions for K-12 programming, please contact us at eucenter@illinois.edu.