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Description
“Democracia para Menores” project has as target audience a sample of the students of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd cycle of basic education in the schools of the city of Castelo Branco, aged between 6 and 16 years old. To carry out this sample ECOGERMINAR will randomly select 4 classes of each cycle of different schools in the city of Castelo Branco, in order to put into practice the actions of this project. The main purpose is to develop skills in children and young people through methods based on non-formal education in order to create citizens who are more active, participative and with a participation in school life. It´s relevant to mention that it´s intended to develop a training of capacity, development/selection of games and application materials in schools, promote local participation and democracy and hold community assemblies with children, around the promotion of education for citizenship.
Summary of project results
The goal of the project was to develop the skills of children and youth through non-formal education methods to create more active and participatory citizens engaged in civic life during their school years. Specifically, the project sought to provide capacity building training, develop and select educational games and materials for schools, promote local participation and democracy, and organize community assemblies with children to promote education for citizenship.
The project focused on elementary school students in Alcains, a township in the municipality of Castelo Branco, central Portugal. It aimed to develop skills in children and young people to make them more active citizens, aware of societal and local issues. To increase youth participation and make learning more engaging, the project used games and activities to raise awareness and encourage participation. In 77 sessions adapted for this younger audience, activities were conducted every two weeks, allowing students to explore various societal and local issues in a practical rather than theoretical manner. This approach challenged students to make public proposals for change and fostered their development as more active citizens.
In quantitative terms, the following was achieved:
- 180 people educated in civic rights;
- 4 partnerships between NGOs and schools promoting civic education;
- 69% share of target group showing civic concerns.
Regarding capacity building, the promoter conducted a needs assessment and prepared an action plan.