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Description
The Czech-Norwegian project focuses on the civic engagement of youth. A team of teachers from two partner upper secondary schools believes that students can improve life of local communities - they just need to know how to bring their ideas into being. Therefore, the team will create two innovative methodologies focused on European Youth Parliament and Participatory Budgeting. These materials that will include videos will serve as a valuable tool facilitating education of youth civic participation and will attractively present how decision-making processes work in a democratic system. Thanks to this, the students will learn how to process their ideas for the community, present them in public, negotiate financial and political support for them and finally implement them at the local level. The project team plan to share them with teachers, representatives of local communities and foreign coordinators from all over Europe.
Summary of project results
The Active Citizenship in Modern Democracies: Two Specific Methodologies project addressed the critical need for engaging and practical democracy and citizenship education. Recognizing a gap in active citizenship awareness among youth, the project sought to empower educators and students with innovative methodologies for understanding and participating in democratic processes
We implemented two main activities: peer-learning workshops focused on the European Youth Parliament and Participatory Budgeting and developed an online textbook as a critical resource. These efforts aimed to provide hands-on experience and a comprehensive educational tool for fostering a deep understanding of civic engagement. The peer-learning activities allowed direct interaction with democratic practices, making the abstract concepts of democracy and citizenship more tangible and relatable for students
The project''s results have been transformative. Many students gained practical democratic participation skills, and educators were equipped with new pedagogical resources, significantly enhancing the teaching of democracy and citizenship. The online textbook, accessed by an even broader audience, is a testament to the project''s success, offering a durable, adaptable resource for future educational endeavours. The significance of this project lies not just in its immediate achievements but in its potential for long-term impact. By instilling a robust understanding of active citizenship among young people, the project contributes to developing informed, engaged future citizens ready to participate meaningfully in their democracies. This enduring legacy underscores the project''s importance, demonstrating the power of targeted educational initiatives to foster a more vibrant, participatory democratic society.
Summary of bilateral results
The collaboration with Askim Videregaende Skole, our Norwegian donor project partner, was pivotal in achieving the project''s objectives. Their specific contributions, rooted in their expertise in democratic education, particularly through the European Youth Parliament (EYP), provided a substantial foundation for the project''s success. This partnership achieved specific project outcomes and fostered a deeper, reciprocal understanding of democratic education practices between the Czech and Norwegian educational communities. Both schools are highly interested in further collaboration.