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Description
For the development of civic competence for children, it is not enough to only know human rights, political concepts and processes, but to enable them to practice democratic principles within school life and the community. Children''s involvement and participation is also essential in these moments where we are unable to meet in person because of the COVID-19 pandemic. With this project, we aim to provide education for children''s rights, democratic and digital citizenship to children of NEF members, children''s counsellors and mentors through an informal form of education. The provided activities are educational interactive online workshops “Full of knowledge”; Online campaign "Children''s rights first"; Online meeting of NEF members with decision makers at local, national and EU parliamentarians from Croatia. By participating in project activities, users will increase civic and digital competences, and we will sensitize children and adults to the need to involve children in decision-making processes from the local to the EU level. The project will contribute to the networking of NEF members and counsellors of children''s councils from different parts of Croatia.
The project is oriented to children, unable to meet and socialize due to Covid-19 restriction measures (regardless on the gender, age or race) to support and encourage them through education on their rights and digital competences to participate in decision making processes, which is not specifically relevant to any of listed policy markers.
Summary of project results
The project has achieved the following effects:
1. the general population of children and adults (representatives of local, regional and EU authorities, decision-makers and public policies for children) is sensitized to involve children in decision-making processes
2. A contribution has been made to the acquisition of civic competence, which includes civic knowledge, skills and attitudes, thus increasing the ability of children involved in the project to participate successfully in the life of a democratic community.
3. We have contributed to the Curriculum for the cross-curricular theme of civic education for primary and secondary schools
4. A publicly accessible database of children''s participation practice has been created via the website - guidelines, presentations and instructions for working with children for leaders, which has the character of a forum for exchanging experiences and models of children''s participation
5. Awareness of European practice in the field of children''s participation and transfer of knowledge to other local self-government units has been increased.
Materials related to educational interactive workshops "I shoot from knowledge" were disseminated to leaders from 40 kindergartens operating in the Republic of Croatia.
Public interest in children''s rights, active children''s participation and digital citizenship has increased through the "Children''s Rights First" campaign (viewed more than 40,000 times in two months on the organization''s Facebook page and through five posts on web portals).
Correspondence was established with decision-makers related to advocating for the inclusion of children in the development of the National Strategy for the Rights of the Child in Croatia, where 12-15 decision-makers participated in online meetings.