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Description
Community Practice is an experiential learning program that allows students to do short internships in civil society organizations, at a time when their numbers are constantly increasing. It will support the subsequent growth of non-governmental organizations. Community Practice takes place in 50 schools and more than 300 CSOs across Estonia.
Through Community Practice, the young person gets an understanding of civil society, an opportunity to learn informally and contributes to society. We structure the program around the student so that he can have a clearer understanding of civil society, expand his horizons, put his knowledge to the test, learn and contribute, and make our society a fairer and better place to live. For the school, Community Practice helps to fulfill the learning objectives related to various general competencies, including social and civic competencies, learning and communication competencies, and entrepreneurial competencies.
The purpose of this project is to develop the Community Practice program and to increase its capacities.
The further development of the Community Practice program is important for updating the materials and content structure of the program. We want it to be up to date, and if possible more interactive for students.
Organizational capacity is supported through a systematic communication channel creation. We will create a regular communication channel and virtual meetings, which will facilitate communication between schools, CSOs and other partners. In addition to virtual meetings and information sharing, we plan to organize training and cooperation seminars to share practices and promote cooperation.
The third goal of this project is to develop a financing model for the CSO. This is necessary so that Kogukonnapraktika could consider further possibilities and sources of funding.
Summary of project results
Community practice is an experiential learning program that supports the subsequent growth of non-governmental organizations, during which students go to a short internship in an civil society organisation. The student gets a practical learning experience, the school gets a more substantial and meaningful curriculum, and the CSO gets to know local young people and future actors in a society. Community practice takes place in 50 schools and more than 300 CSOs across Estonia.
Through community practice, the young person gets an understanding of civil society, an opportunity to learn informally and contribute to society. The program is structured based on the student, so that he can have a clearer understanding of civil society, expand his horizons, put his knowledge to the test, notice and contribute, and make our society a fairer and better place to live. For the school, community practice helps to fulfil the learning objectives related to various general competences, including social and civic competences, learning and communication competences and entrepreneurial competences.
The purpose of this project was the development and capacity building of the community practice program and community.
Program Updates
Throughout the year, multiple co-creation events and meetings were held with program participants to refine the approach. A shared perspective emerged: while sufficient educational materials exist for social studies, more support is needed to connect schools with the community, organize engaging seminars, and provide students with project examples.
To address this, co-creation seminars were organized across various regions, inviting NGOs to share insights. Students were encouraged to develop project ideas in collaboration with these organizations. Example project themes included waste reduction, healthy eating, fair trade awareness, and sustainable lifestyles.
Organizational Capacity
A podcast was produced in cooperation with NGO consultants from different regions, offering an accessible resource to understand the initiative’s impact. Additionally, the national curriculum was updated, shifting focus to learning outcomes rather than predefined content. As a result, the program was integrated into the social studies curriculum process, receiving official recognition from the Ministry of Education and Research.
Sustainability of Community Practice
Through active engagement with schools, the program was introduced as an elective course in several high schools, receiving positive feedback and interest in continued collaboration. Discussions are ongoing with additional schools interested in incorporating the program and securing facilitation support.
The project has been instrumental in strengthening the organization’s role and expanding its reach. Without additional support, nationwide meetings and program development efforts would not have been possible.
Through discussions and events, key insights were gained on how best to support educators and civil society organizations in engaging students and fostering active citizenship. Organizing events and one-on-one meetings helped amplify the program’s message and expand its network. Feedback from partners confirmed the vital role of community practice in today’s society.
Stable funding allowed for consistent communication efforts and the successful pilot of the program in a school, where positive outcomes led to its permanent inclusion in the curriculum with teacher compensation. Additionally, new schools have joined the initiative, with agreements in place for future academic years.
Due to this year’s active efforts, the organization is now recognized as a strong partner in facilitating impactful meetings and meaningful student engagement opportunities.