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Description
Through developing attractive educational resources for students (video animations), teaching workshops and classwork as well as practical actions in the community, this project is designed to increase the level of civic involvement of young generations in rural and small urban areas, in counties where participation and civic involvement are among the lowest. The project develops a practical educational package that explains basic notions about democracy (functioning of the state, rule of law, functioning of justice, fighting corruption) and continues with civil rights and the basics of correct information (media literacy and combating false news). This educational resource will be complemented by working methods, teacher training, and teaching guides. It will be taught in practical civic workshops in a number of 20 schools and to at least 600 secondary school pupils (grades VII-VIII) and the first years of high school (IX-X) from disadvantaged communities where such notions are rarely learned through early education. Moreover, student action groups at the school level, with which partnerships will be agreed during the project and after its completion, will receive support and assistance from the project team to initiate and conduct local civic actions to bring about changes in their communities. It is expected that this pilot program - in which modern educational resources will be taken to low-involvement communities and put into practice - will generate inspiration for other schools and the entire community, encourage critical thinking and increase the level of familiarity with civil rights.
Summary of project results
The project contributed to increasing civic engagement among younger generations, offering the public education system models for teaching civic and media education. It stimulated active citizenship through civic activities in 17 communities, particularly in areas with low community participation, providing best practice models for teaching and practicing active citizenship locally
The project partners/collaborators developed and promoted an attractive educational resource package for students (20 video lesson episodes), available for free, covering key topics for active citizenship—legal, civic, and media education. This educational package dedicated to civic and media education was implemented and promoted in 20 of schools and school inspectorates and presented in webinars attended by over 250 teachers, thus supporting the integration of these skills into the learning process. The project, carried out by CRPE and Digital Bridge Association, involved 649 students in activities that encouraged young people’s active participation in their communities. The project included 20 civic workshops based on partnerships with schools. It also developed and implemented 20 civic plans where students identified and tackled local issues through initiatives and civic actions. A collection of best practices and successful initiatives, “My Story: How I Changed My Community" was finalized and serves
as a source of inspiration for other schools and communities.
The project demonstrated how civic education can transform students into active and engaged citizens, capable of making positive changes in their communities.