Alcuin (Albinus Flaccus), a learned Anglo-Saxon monk, was born at York in about 735 A.D. and died at Tours in 804. An inspirer of the liturgical and scholastic reforms of the Carolingian period, he was director of the school at the Emperor's castle in Aix-la-Chapelle, then at Tours. He was among the men who worked with Charlemagne, who put him in charge of establishing institutes of learning all over Europe.

What is the Alcuin Award ?

The Alcuin Award initiative was launched in 1991 by the European Parents' Association and highlights the role of parents as partners in the education of their children.

The Alcuin Award usually takes place in the European Capital of Culture. It honours the best in educational innovation in Europe by giving this recompense to a person or an activity nominated by EPA Members and the Ministers of Education.

The selection by the Jury of the five nominees and of the winner are based on these criteria:

The candidate should contribute to the role of parents as essential partners in the learning process

The candidate should focus on the special importance of home-school relationships for education enhancing children's achievement.

The candidate should be seen to reflect innovative achievements in education.

To reflect a European dimension, the candidate should represent an inspirational example for other European countries and encourage trans-national implementation.

The Alcuin Award winners:

• The 1991 winner was Mrs Rita Schwark (Bundeselternrat, Germany) for her efforts to help families and schools cope with dyslexia.
  
• The 1992 winner was "Le grand prix des jeunes lecteurs" (PEEP, France) for its initiative in favour of reading.
  
• The 1993 winner was Mrs Karin Rolsted (SOS, Denmark) for her approach to new parents-teacher cooperation-methods.
  
• In Lisbon, in 1994, the Jury decided to give the Alcuin Award to the Dutch anti discrimination project NPCS - Anne Franck Foundation, because of the innovative way it stimulates schools, pupils and parents to be aware and active in combating xenophobia and discrimination.
  
• The Jury presented the 1995 Alcuin Award to the Italian association A.Ge. for the project "This is my family", which gives the voice to the children, letting them speak about their family through the sincere expression of art and writing.
  
• The 1996 winner was the Finnish project "Together to good life" an initiative of the Parents' Council of the Primary School in Laauka. Its aim is to intensify co-operation between different people and groups who influence a child's life (pre-school and day care, hobby clubs, sport clubs, local leisure, recreational services, shopkeepers,... The motto is: "It takes a whole village to raise a child".
  
• In 1997, the prize was given to Mrs Mulgannon, co-ordinator of the Home-school-community project in a primary school in Galway City (Ireland). The project developed by the Department of Education in designated areas of disadvantage aims to promote partnership and collaboration between parents and teachers in the interests of children's learning.
  
• The 1998 Alcuin Winner was Mrs Anita Jans, for the "Analysis of images" workshop. The aim is to teach children about the audio-visual content and all kinds of expression; to make them attentive, critical and open-minded; to discuss the influence of the television and to teach them how to use it.
  
• In Weimar, the Alcuin Award Jury selected the Storysacks project, presented by the English Ministry of Education, as the 1999 Alcuin Award winner. lt was started by a group of parents at Westlea Primary School, Swindon. Working with the head teacher, they developed the sacks to encourage parents and children to enjoy reading books and discuss the stories.
  
• 2000 - the German project "The Ten Adventures of the Little Muck" presented by the German parents association BER.
  This project was developed in the William-Hauff Primary School, which is located in "crisis location number 1" in this district of Berlin. 67% of the pupils are foreign, about 20% of which can hardly speak German. The 100th anniversary of the school made parents and teachers think about improvements in their school. They developed multi-cultural projects, on which the " Ten Adventures of the Little Muck " are based. The school became the favourite meeting place of its community and co-operates successfully with child and youth organisations.
  
• 2001 - the Belgian project: "The meeting takes off...From the others to us in passing by the street", presented by the Minister of Education. It is an initiative of the parents’ association of the Saint-Barthélemy middle school of Liège (member association of UFAPEC) who, to fight a climate of violence, has created strong links between four schools in a neighbourhood. Different types of schools: general, technical, vocational; public or private.
  
• 2002 – the German project "Compassion - socially aware learning and action at school and in society" was developed by the Secretariat of the German Bishops’ Conference and the Schools Foundation [Schulstiftung] of the Archidiocese of Freiburg, and presented by the KED parents’ association. This project allows youths to do an internship in different settings (rest home, hospital, home for the disabled, kindergartens, etc.) in the framework of their secondary schooling. In the following months the subject of "Social Awareness" is expressly addressed and cognitively reflected in every subject, where possible and in conjunction with the normal curriculum.
  

Criteria of participation

The nomination procedure is as follows :

Every year in January, EPA is inviting

• -its member organisations and
• -the Ministry of education of all countries represented in EPA (EU countries + Bulgaria, Cyprus, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Malta, Norway, Poland, Slovakia) to nominate ONE candidate.

All nominations have to pass through one of the two channels.

• The description of the project should be written in English or French and
• should attempt to describe how the project matches the selection criteria.

The closing date for receipt of a nomination is 1 June, 2003.

The Administrative Council identifies five projects for consideration by the Alcuin Award Jury which consists of prominent Europeans.

The Jury announces the winning project at the official Ceremony (usually held in November).

European Parents Association • Rue du Champ de Mars. 1a • B 1050 Bruxelles
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