Report of the project Philo Day 2023
On 9 and 10 February 2023, close to 170 students from across all language sections took part in the Philosophy Day project.
The event was also livestreamed to students unable to attend in person.
Philosophy Day 2023 was an event, revolving around the chosen theme of ‘Thinking and Dwelling’, where students and teachers from across all European schools came together to share input and ideas. Students were invited to attend General Assemblies, where guest lecturers from universities or other schools presented interesting topics, relating to the chosen theme, and encouraged the audience to ask questions. In smaller groups, students could attend workshops, which were led by fellow students or by teachers, and featured interactive discussions and presentations.
Students, wishing to participate in the event even further, were invited to join the Ethical Dilemma Impromptu, in which participants were faced with a morally challenging problem and had a limited time to reach a solution, using philosophical principals. Similarly, the Philosophy Commission, allowed a small number of students to discuss and elaborate over a certain question and give a short presentation of their developed answer.
At the closing ceremony, the organizers of the EDI and Philosophy Commission, announced the winners of those two activities, who received a small prize and a certificate for their efforts.
Philosophy Day enabled students to develop their philosophical minds through the many different activities. Whether students were presenting their own topics at the Workshops, or attending General Assemblies, the event allowed participants to acquire new insights, and formulate questions, which developed their thinking. Additionally, communication skills were practised, given that so many students from different schools were brought together.
The organizing team acquired good team-leading experience and had a chance to work with one another to ensure the smooth sailing of the event. Everyone took their responsibilities seriously, and worked hard to resolve issues, developing their skills to work under time pressure and to work to a high standard.
Philo Day has proven once more to be a valuable to the school event. The combined efforts on all sides showcased the determination of the school to create a vibrant environment. In addition, the students visiting from other European schools were able to witness the hard-working community of teachers and students at EEB4. Overall, the success of the event has brightened the image of the school even further.
- “PhiloDay was a fantastic student-led activity. We were happy to see the team leaders and volunteers complete their tasks with joy and determination. The students who made this edition happen were particularly energetic and worked well together. We were also particularly glad to have had the opportunity to welcome a good number of students and colleagues from other schools. We experienced some difficulties with the online components of the event, but these were eventually resolved and everything else happened as intended. We thank the APEEE and the school administration for their continued moral and financial support, as well as their flexibility in accommodating our requests.” – April Capili (Coordinator)
- “La quatrième édition de PhiloDay a été une belle réussite dont toute l’équipe et l’EEB4 peuvent être fiers. Avec 362 inscriptions, 11 écoles européennes, 2 écoles accréditées et 2 écoles externes participantes, on peut dire que l’invitation à participer aux journées de la philosophie a rencontré un accueil plus que favorable. Signe du temps? Le désir de se rencontrer, de partager des savoirs, de tisser des liens et d’ouvrir les portes de nos écoles, aussi en lien avec le monde académique et des écoles externes au réseau des écoles européennes, tout cela fait sens et c’est aussi grâce à cela que PhiloDay 2023 a pris une si belle tournure. L’équipe organisatrice de cette année a été tout simplement fabuleuse. Une énergie et une qualité de présence extraordinaires ont donné vie à ce Core Team inoubliable où chaque singularité a contribué pleinement à une création commune. Il y a eu quelque chose de magique, par delà les défis de cette première édition hybride. Le défi n’était pas des moindres, en effet, mais il a été relevé, en assurant une organisation complète aussi bien pour ceux qui sont venus sur place que pour ceux (plus nombreux) qui ont participé de loin. Sans le soutien de notre direction, du personnel technique, de l’équipe informatique, de la communication et de l’APEEE, PhiloDay 2023 n’aurait tout simplement pas pu avoir lieu. Pas sous cette forme riche et inspirante. M. Capili et moi-même voulons remercier chacun pour cette confiance renouvelée dans un projet qui est devenu un rendez-vous aimé par tant de collègues et d’élèves. Vivement 2024 pour une édition tout aussi engageante!” – Gilberto Castorini (Coordinator)
- “Personally, I think the whole event dragged on too much, and was too long. The organization was sometimes bad and between events there were large breaks, where the audience was doing nothing but waiting. The workshops I attended were fine, but I think it would be better if they were more interactive. The EDI was also okay but would be more interesting if there were more people participating.” – Anonymous
- “I think it was a good event, and the technical difficulties occasionally encountered didn’t even bother me. The General Assemblies were good, and I liked the professor’s lectures and topics of discussion. I enjoyed the workshops I went to and in general I like the idea of them.” – E. Haar
- “Warm congratulations and many thanks to all the organizers, the speakers and the participants of this year’s Philo Day, for the rich and inspiring meeting! All the best for the continuation. Kind regards.” – EEB3 Teacher
- “I also wanted to congratulate all the organizers, speakers, and participants for their great work. It has been very exciting to participate for the first time in this inspiring and rewarding PhiloDay. Thank you all and warm greetings.” -EEA Teacher