Implanting a subcutaneous microchip in all citizens of European states, creating a transnational continental water network, and facing the consequences of a catastrophic earthquake that cripples the heart of Europe: this is not the beginning of a dystopian novel; these are just some of the elements at the center of a simulation session of the European Parliament that took place on September 25th in Rome. The participants in this role playing game were the students of the 5th year of the Scientific High School Leonardo da Vinci in Casalecchio di Reno.

The Bolognese class visited the Esperienza Europa - David Sassoli exhibition center, the new exhibition space dedicated to the EU in the heart of the capital, promoted by the European Parliament and the European Commission. Through a multimedia tour, immersive installations, and an interactive role-playing game, Esperienza Europa offers the opportunity to discover how the European Union and its legislative bodies work.

^{Video by Stella Zocco.}

The visit represents the culmination of a journey that began in early 2023 with Stella Stocco and Melania Costanzo participating in the ABNE - A Brave New Europe project, contributing a report on sustainable micromobility in Bologna to Zai.net. The visit also represents the prize they received last June at the prestigious Fotografia Europea event in Reggio Emilia. The two young reporters from Zai.Net won the #LaTuaEuropa photography contest (promoted within the framework of the EU FACTOR European project by Innovacoop and Legacoop Emilia-Romagna), a prize awarded for one of the photographs taken for the reportage.

Stella and Melania led the class on their trip to the capital and, in the afternoon, they were featured in a live radio interview on ML Network's Zai.Time program. They not only discussed the multimedia journey to understand European politics at the David Sassoli center but also delved into the functioning of the exciting role-playing game in which the class participated.For almost three hours, the students took part in a simulation of a European Parliament session within the spaces of Esperienza Europa, stepping into the shoes of European parliamentarians to learn about the inner workings of continental institutions in an innovative and enjoyable way.

During the game, the class dealt with two legislative amendments: the first related to hypothetical legislation on the use of subcutaneous microchips, and the second sparked a heated debate about the community regulations on the use of aqueducts and water networks. In this way, the students learned how European legislation is drafted, which parties are involved, and how it can sometimes be challenging to reach a negotiated compromise. The players faced competitive situations similar to those of real MEPs: they gathered information from field experts, listened to stakeholders, and selected the most relevant elements, working together and challenging other political groups to make decisions that align as closely as possible with the interests of their constituents.

The most important lesson of the day? "We learned that we can't simply act based on our own opinions," the students explained to Zai.net's microphones, "but we need to take into account the opinions of others to achieve a satisfactory result."