Preparing US Students for an EU Simulation

Preparing students for effective and beneficial participation in an EU simulation can be challenging.  Most US students are unfamiliar with the European Union at best and completely unaware of its existence at worst.  Participation in a simulation can increase cognitive knowledge (facts and figures) in a manner that is fun and effective.  However, how does one go about not only introducing the EU, but helping students arrive at a point where they are effective and engaged policy-makers within the EU simulation? And, given the potential difficulties in preparation, why would one choose to engage students in such a simulation?  While preparing students to successfully participate in an EU simulation presents challenges both in terms of understanding and time constraints, the results can be eye-opening and are beneficial for content knowledge as well as gaining practice and experience with life-skills such as leadership, negotiation, and group work.  This chapter will explore the challenges inherent in preparing US students for a simulation of the EU, the benefits of student participation in such a simulation, and the inclusion of a simulation into the curriculum as a high impact practice.