DemocracyYES

Description

The "DemocracyYES!" project promotes a strong YES! to a pro-democratic culture in Latvian schools, ensuring that democracy is not just taught but lived—every day, in every place, and every moment. More than just an educational initiative, it is a movement empowering students, parents, teachers, and school administrations to actively shape democratic, participatory, and engaged school communities.

At the heart of the project is the Democratic and Civic Education Centre "DemokrātiJĀ!", designed to provide a multi-faceted, strategic, systematic, and sustainable support system. Addressing democracy at both institutional and deeply personal levels, the centre will serve as a hub for strengthening active citizenship and participation.

The project provides both methodological and organizational support, covering the didactic triangle of content, student, and teacher, while also recognizing the crucial role of parents and school leadership. Activities are structured into four key modules: Plan (strengthening democratic school culture through strategic documents and implementation), Wisdom (training trainers and teachers), Breath (enhancing democratic competencies among young people), and Freedom (tailoring individual solutions and approaches across all levels of education). Through these efforts, the project will directly impact the daily lives of at least 10,000 young people and educators.

Implemented in partnership with DOTS Foundation for an Open Society, the project benefits from the partner’s expertise in strategy development, content creation, result analysis, and public engagement. By involving regional multipliers and mobilizing active young people, the initiative not only ensures its success but also lays the foundation for long-term sustainability and widespread democratic change.

Summary of project results

Gap between policy and practice – although schools are environments where young personalities develop, offering significant potential for strengthening democracy and civic values. However, this potential was not fully utilized. Although democracy was defined as a core value in Latvia’s education documents and civic competence was integrated across subjects, research indicated that Latvian students had one of the lowest levels of civic competence in Europe. The project sought to bridge the gap between formal policies and real-life democratic experiences in schools.Limited knowledge among educators – school administrators and teachers often lacked sufficient understanding of how to integrate civic and democratic competencies into daily school life. Democracy is more than just a concept written in documents—it is reflected in relationships, actions, and attitudes within the school environment. Without adequate knowledge and training, educators struggled to apply democratic principles effectively.Authoritarian teaching approaches – historically, the education system was built around teachers as authority figures responsible for knowledge transfer. Many educators found it challenging to transition to a student-centered approach, where teachers act as partners and mentors rather than figures of control. Fear and a lack of training often prevented teachers from embracing democratic teaching methods, limiting students'' opportunities for active participation.Lack of student engagement – research showed that Latvian students often did not believe in their ability to influence decisions in their schools. In 2019, only 29% of young people in Latvia felt they could impact school policies. This lack of confidence, combined with limited opportunities to practice civic engagement, contributed to low levels of participation in democratic processes.Fragmented and short-term efforts – Democracy and civic engagement initiatives in schools were often introduced through temporary projects rather than being embedded into a long-term strategic framework. Without a systematic approach, these initiatives lacked sustainability and had minimal lasting impact on school culture.Insufficient institutional support – schools lacked a centralized, structured support system to help implement democratic education effectively. Teachers did not have access to a unified resource hub offering methodological guidance on fostering democracy and civic engagement. The absence of a well-defined, long-term strategy hindered progress in establishing a democratic school culture.

A modern and innovative support system for schools was created, ensuring access to diverse educational materials on democracy. A central online platform - www.demokratijaskola.lv - was developed to consolidate resources, and physical materials were distributed to schools. The dissemination of these materials was strategically planned, reaching both educators and students.Comprehensive self-assessment tool "Fit Democracy to Your School" was developed, digitized, and made publicly available on www.demokratijaskola.lv. Designed for all Latvian schools, it enables institutions to evaluate their democracy levels in three key areas: curriculum, organizational culture, and democratic competencies. The tool provides clear criteria descriptions, a structured evaluation scale, and tailored recommendations for improvement, fostering a more democratic learning environment. It also features intuitive graphical result visualization, allowing users to analyze, save, and print their assessments for continuous progress tracking.A professional development e-course was designed and piloted to strengthen teachers'' civic competencies and understanding of democratic education. This flexible, self-paced 8-hour program combines informational and methodological modules, guiding educators through key topics such as democratic culture in schools, civic society, school democracy self-assessment, community engagement, and effective teaching methods. To date, 286 educators have successfully completed the program, with plans for expansion pending additional funding.A strategic game on democracy was adapted and distributed to schools, allowing students to experience democratic decision-making in an engaging way. The game was widely used in schools and educational events, enhancing students'' understanding of governance and participation.Three hackathons engaged more than 200 students in strengthening civic and democratic competencies. Workshops fostered critical thinking, participation, and belief in their ability to influence democratic processes. A key outcome was the creation of Loesje posters, exhibited in schools during Democracy Week and supporting project sustainability.Seven teacher training seminars were conducted to enhance educators'' understanding of democratic education and civic engagement. The program included both informational and methodological modules, with 291 participants registered—exceeding the target by 91. Course materials, invitations, and certification processes were developed, and outreach efforts engaged schools across Latvia. A broad exchange of knowledge and best practices on integrating democracy into school life was ensured. An "Idea Bank" was compiled, and practical methodologies were shared across all Latvian schools, fostering peer learning and innovation. Monthly newsletters for schools on democracy issues. “Ideju Strops” newsletters were developed and published, each featuring a Latvian NGO with interdisciplinary educational materials to integrate civic education into learning. The newsletters were distributed monthly to over 800 recipients, including schools, education boards, and teachers, and were available on www.demokratijaskola.lv. The initiative strengthened educators'' competencies, increased NGO awareness, and encouraged youth engagement in civil society. Summarizing the insights, data, and ideas gained from the project, a study – the roadmap "Democratization of Latvian Schools" – was developed.

Strengthening democratic culture in schools

This ACF strategic project has significantly enhanced civic education and democracy in Latvian schools. Through innovative materials, teacher training, and a self-assessment tool, schools have strengthened democratic culture, increased student participation, and improved decision-making processes. Schools adopted participatory decision-making, co-created rules, and engaged students in governance. As an example - agreements between school leadership and student parliaments defined responsibilities or teachers, students, and parents collaboratively shaped school values and displayed them in shared spaces. 67% of Latvian schools participated in the project, significantly improving interaction between students, teachers, parents, and administrators.

Expanding access to practical civic education tools

A centralized and accessible platform, www.demokratijaskola.lv, was developed to consolidate project-created materials, along with the latest Latvian resources and research on democracy and civic competence. To make democracy more tangible, physical resources were distributed to schools, including large dice for primary students, Loesje posters for secondary students, and the "DemokrātiJĀ!" board game. A school democracy audit tool was also introduced, allowing schools to assess democracy levels in curriculum, organizational culture, and democratic competencies. This tool required schools to evaluate student governance, teacher involvement in decision-making, and cooperation with local communities and NGOs. Developed by education and civic society experts, it provides scientifically grounded assessments and tailored recommendations to strengthen democracy in schools. The materials have also been widely adopted beyond schools, reaching youth organizations, municipal youth centers, and universities.

Enhancing educator readiness for democracy education

A teacher professional development program was created to deepen educators'' understanding of democracy and equip them with practical tools for integrating democratic principles into teaching. Over 280 teachers were trained to incorporate democracy into all subjects, breaking away from the traditional approach where democracy-related training was mostly limited to social sciences teachers. The project ensured effective knowledge exchange and best practices among Latvian schools, promoting the integration of democracy into both the school environment and learning process. Support materials were regularly distributed to all Latvian schools, providing practical guidance, educational resources, worksheets, and lesson plans. These materials were downloaded over 2,000 times, demonstrating strong engagement and interest among educators.

Although attitudinal changes take time, the project has laid a strong foundation for a school environment where democracy is not just discussed but actively practiced. The results of this ACF project are expected to remain a strategic, systematic, and sustainable support system for all stakeholders in the education sector.