Description
The project addresses the need for civic education and greater civic engagement among teachers and students. The project aims at ensuring greater civic engagement through a series of classes, discussions and trainings of students. First, 40 students and civic education teachers will be divided into 5 working groups. They will engage in presenting and arguing for their civic position. Second, 8 joint discussions will be held on Post-2011 Bulgarian and international protests (e.g. DANSWITHME, the Arab Spring, Occupy, Maidan). Third, the participants will have 2 individual tasks to choose a protest, study the media coverage or interview the protest participants. The outcome of the individual tasks will be discussed during group discussions. Finally, teams will be prepared to hold 20 civic education classes in 4 high schools in Sofia. The project will benefit the students and teachers involved, education establishments and the public in general.
Summary of project results
The project addressed the need for civic education and greater civic engagement among teachers and students. A new model of civic education was developed under the project. The model provides for direct integration of topical civil society issues and practices in university lectures and school classes. The model was introduced in 4 lecture courses in Sofia University and New Bulgarian University and was experimentally tested during 20 civic education classes in two Sofia City schools. A database was developed with good-quality analyses on the subject of the protests in Bulgaria and across the world that were prepared for the project and published in the three volumes of Critique and Humanism Magazine and the website of Human and Social Studies Foundation. The project results were disseminated with the broad public through 8 public events organized and more than 20 media publications and releases. 10 teachers from different schools were trained under the project and 30 students taking part in student traineeships had open-door lessons in civic education. In addition, 8 public discussions devoted to the protests in Bulgaria and abroad were held with 6 international participants. As a result of the project, 4 permanent courses based on the new model were launched at Sofia University and New Bulgarian University and students continue to enroll for them. For more information about the project, please, visit:
http://hssfoundation.org.
Summary of bilateral results