Education for democracy is a task of growing social urgency. John Dewey already emphasized: "Without democracy in everyday life, representative democracy is undermined". The rise of populist and right-wing extremist movements throughout Europe, globalization and migration, as well as digitalization, challenge our democracy. Democracy seems to us to be a normal part of everyday life in society. The younger generation is often not aware that the rights we have today were fought for. However, democracy must be "learned". Schools must face up to this task by giving pupils the opportunity to experience participation, involvement and responsibility. It is also possible to identify competencies that promote democratic behaviour, such as empathy/change of perspective, openness, taking a standpoint, conflict management, etc. These should also be indirectly conveyed in the project. This project wants to inspire young people for democracy. It is intended to make them aware of the factors that determine democracy and to show them the possibilities of participation. The future pedagogues play an important role as multipliers. In this way, the foundations for democracy-promoting skills are already laid in kindergarten. The two-year project "Mach mit- Wie kann Schule zur Demokratiebildung beitragen" (Join in - How can schools contribute to democracy education) would first like to examine the concepts of "democracy" and "participation" theoretically and understand them in the history of ideas. The comparison of different developments and opportunities for participating in decision-making in the individual partner countries will sharpen one's own judgement and help to better identify antidemocratic tendencies. The project, which is integrated into regular lessons, thus not only strengthens the European dimension of the school, but also aims to promote greater participation in school and civil society involvement as concrete results. Four secondary schools and one vocational school from five different countries (Poland, Romania, Belgium, Italy and Germany) are participating. The primary working languages will be English and French.
The aim of the project was to promote basic key competences in a European context. In the first phase of the two-year project "Join in - How can schools contribute to democracy education?", the terms "democracy" and "participation" were first analysed theoretically and recorded in terms of the history of ideas. Democratic values such as freedom, equality, freedom of expression and social justice were symbolically presented in different languages in a collaborative e-book. This also highlighted the different perspectives of the individual partner countries for pupils and teachers. On a meta-level, this enabled the participants to illustrate the pluralism of opinions but also the different historical development towards democracies in the individual partner countries. By means of the lessons, discussions and activities, the pupils were able to develop an understanding of the importance of these values in a democratic society. Dealing with dictatorship and visiting the concentration camp in Auschwitz and the Ceaușescu House in Bucharest also made this emotionally tangible for the pupils. Skills that promote democratic behaviour, such as empathy/change of perspective, openness, representing points of view, ability to deal with conflicts, etc. were also taught indirectly in the project. The pupils were also encouraged in their media skills. Media terms such as "clickbaiting", satire etc. were compiled in a small handbook. The pupils also learned how to evaluate information from various sources, recognise media manipulation and build their own points of view on sound knowledge. In addition to the theoretical examination of conspiracy theories, fake news simulation tools were also used for this purpose. This enabled the pupils to carefully scrutinise sources and participate appropriately in democratic discussions. In a workshop organised by Kompetenzschmiede Saar, the teachers were given the opportunity to learn about methods for resolving conflicts in a respectful atmosphere. Methods from Betzavta (=Together and an approach from democracy education) were used here. At school level, opportunities for participation and co-determination were addressed in all schools and in some cases also created so that pupils are involved in decision-making processes. In this way, pupils learnt to take responsibility, express their opinions and make their voices heard in matters that affect them. Roger Hart's participation ladder was used as an evaluation tool for this purpose. This was used to determine the extent to which pupils were actually involved and when it was only a case of mock participation or information. This then helped the pupils to categorise their actual opportunities for co-determination. Corresponding training courses were held for the student representatives with the help of external partners such as the Adolf Bender Centre and the state student representatives. The continuous cooperation and meetings enabled the pupils to make comparisons. The comparison of different opportunities for co-determination and social commitment in the individual partner countries also sharpened their own judgement. The partner schools were involved in various social projects, such as helping out at a food bank for the homeless and supporting a sports festival for disabled children. Through their involvement in social projects, the pupils came into contact with various social challenges and needs. They learnt to develop empathy and to put themselves in other people's shoes. This fostered an understanding of social justice and strengthened their commitment to an inclusive and just society. The project was accompanied by intensive public relations work, particularly by the Romanian, German and Belgian schools on Instagram and through newspaper and magazine articles. Regular evaluations were carried out during the project. On top of that, it should be noted that the long-term benefits of this topic cannot be measured directly. However, questionnaires or observation can be used to determine whether this project has an impact on pupils' behaviour. In addition, the materials developed can continue to be used and exchanged by the partner schools through the e-book and website that have been created.