About/Contact
Who we are & why we do it
We help children practise critical thinking, media literacy and respectful debate.
About Key to the EU
“Education isn’t the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”
— W.B. Yeats
Key to the EU helps children and teachers explore what it means to be part of the European Union, through creative lessons, games and projects that spark curiosity, critical thinking and active citizenship.
Originally developed as My Big Friendly Guide to the European Union, the project has grown into a broader educational platform that connects classrooms, teachers and learners focusing on active European citizenship, learning for citizenship rather than about citizenship.
Key to the EU is not about promoting the EU, but about understanding it, encouraging children to ask questions, debate ideas and see Europe from different perspectives.
What we aim to develop:
The Team
Dr Emmanuelle Schön-Quinlivan
Lecturer in European Politics, Department of Government and Politics, University College Cork, Director of the BSc in Government and Political Science
Ms Trish Collier
Primary School Teacher and Assistant Principal II, Kilmurry National School, Co. Cork Co-founder of Key to the EU and author of many classroom activities.
Dorothea Tratnik Kelly
Irish Language Translator PhD in Irish Language and Literature, UCC Responsible for translating all learning materials into Irish
Advisory Board
Behind Key to the EU stands a diverse panel of educators, researchers, and journalists who share a common goal — helping children think critically, act empathetically, and engage meaningfully with Europe and the world around them.
Graham Clifford
Journalist & Founder of Sanctuary Runners and Together Ireland
Prof. Andrew Peterson
Professor of Character and Citizenship Education, Jubilee Centre, UK
Cathríona Jones
Primary Teacher & Education Specialist, Cork
Laura Donovan Kenna
Primary Teacher & Education Leader
Kasper Tønsberg Schlie
Educational Officer, Democracy in Europe Organisation (DEO), Denmark
Dr Philip Murphy
Lecturer in Political Science, University College Cork
Sinéad Casey
Primary Teacher, Our Lady Immaculate School, Dublin
Kasper Tønsberg Schlie
Educational Officer, Democracy in Europe Organisation (DEO), Denmark
Dr Philip Murphy
Lecturer in Political Science, University College Cork
Sinéad Casey
Primary Teacher, Our Lady Immaculate School, Dublin
Funders & Partners
Developed by the Department of Government and Politics, University College Cork (UCC), with support from the European Union, and in partnership with schools and education networks across Europe.
Get in touch today
Dr Emmanuelle Schön-Quinlivan University College Cork, Ireland
Whether you have a question about our resources, need support integrating the activities into your lessons, or want to share feedback from your students, please send us a message using this form.
We’ll do our best to reply within a few working days.
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