Increasing social challenges such as migration and international tensions and increasing social inequality within Europe mean a large amount of insecurity to many people. This leads to increasing re-nationalization, to populism and anti-democratization and finally to an increasing division of society on a national and international level. This is evident not only in Brexit, but also in the successes of populist parties across Europe. These also endanger the functionality of the EU and the cooperation of its member states. The search for simple, predominantly national solutions is carried out from various sides, often combined with criticism of the EU and its institutions as well as doubting the usefulness and meaning of democratic processes. The project focuses upon the interests of young people and supports them in developing their capacity for democracy, criticism, judgment and action, and actively contributing to the development of a democratic community. It is not just about imparting knowledge, but also about building up values. This is the only way young people can become responsible and committed citizens - whether in schools, companies, associations or political organizations. The project is aimed at students between the ages of 16 and 19 who will leave school in the foreseeable future to start vocational training or study. They will be soon or are already entitled to vote and participate in decision-making processes in various ways. The project is divided into five parts. At the beginning, civil and human rights and their meaning in our everyday life are discussed following the motto "Fight for Human Rights". The aim is to learn to represent one’s own rights as well as to respect and accept the rights of others and to actively stand up for their enforcement and defence. The date is chosen so that Human Rights Day is celebrated with all schools. “Have your Say” is directly linked with the first activity. Active citizenship requires active participation in the opinion-building processes and appropriate presentation of one's own opinion, as well as the ability to fight tendencies that are anti-democratic and anti -constitutional. Democratic opinion-forming and decision-making processes are increasingly influenced by fake news and targeted manipulations. These mechanisms and their effects on a democratic social order are to be recognized and uncovered in “fake or fact”. Following the motto "We are EU", all previous activities are summarized and placed in a European context. The participants develop, on their individual future visions for the EU. The teacher training "Creative Classroom" serves to exchange good practice, possible methodical and didactic approaches and the design of project activities as well as a general improvement of teaching abilities. Improved methodological competence leads to more motivation and the promotion of learning success for both teachers and students. All methods are highly student-centred. Role-playing, scenario techniques, surveys and their evaluation, interviews with local politicians, visits to radio stations and newspaper editorial offices are among the planned methods. All results are summarized, presented and, as far as possible, publicly displayed. Teacher training through coaches and the exchange of best practice examples support this approach. Overall, all participants improve their professional, methodological and social skills. They recognize themselves as “agents of change” for their own life and the lives of others. The students take on their role as active EU citizens and recognize their influence on democratic decisions. They express their own opinion appropriately and respect others'. They develop their tolerance as well as a reflective and sensitive perception of various social and political interests. Teachers expand their knowledge / skills to develop projects, teaching units and materials as well as their skills in the development of cooperative forms of learning to promote independent lifelong learning. They provide handouts, curricula and materials that are integrated into the curricula of the individual schools. In addition, schools will celebrate Human Rights Day and Europe Day with joint actions in the future.
Increasing social challenges such as migration and international tensions, increasing social inequality within Europe and dealing with climate change are leading to great uncertainty among many people. This increasingly leads to re-nationalization, to populism and anti-democratization and finally to an increasing division of society at national and international level. This shows up e. g. the electoral successes of populist parties throughout Europe, increasing radicalization or discrimination against minorities. These endanger the functioning of the EU and the cohesion of its member states. The search for simple, predominantly national solutions is pursued by various parties, often in connection with criticism of the EU and its institutions and doubts about the usefulness and meaning of democratic processes. This project focused on the interests of young people and supported them in developing their capacity for democracy, criticism, judgment, and action, and in actively participating in shaping a democratic community. It was not just about imparting knowledge, but about building values. This is the only way they can become responsible and committed citizens. The project was aimed at students between the ages of 16 and 19 who will be starting vocational training or studying in the foreseeable future. They will become or are already eligible to vote and get involved in decision-making processes in various ways. The project should be divided into five parts. Due to the pandemic, the first two (additional) meetings took place virtually, so that in the end the project consisted of seven parts. As planned, civil and human rights and their importance in our daily lives were discussed at the beginning under the motto "Fight for Human Rights". It was about learning to defend one's own rights as well as to respect and accept the rights of others and to actively stand up for their enforcement and defence. "Have your Say" was a direct follow-up to the first activity, again virtually via video conference. Active citizenship requires that one participates constructively in the opinion-forming process and represents one's own opinion appropriately. This was simulated and reflected in the form of role-playing games. The teachers' meeting "Creative Classroom", originally planned for the mid-term, was the first physical meeting. As planned, it not only served the purpose of exchanging good practice and evaluating progress to date, but also planning the further course of the project and further project activities. The first physical meeting with students deals with democratic opinion-forming and decision-making processes, which are increasingly influenced by fake news and targeted manipulations. These mechanisms and their effects on a democratic social order are to be recognized and uncovered in "Fake or Fact". This was a continuation of the two virtual meetings. The next two meetings again dealt with "Fight for Human Rights" and "Have your Say". This time they took place on site and took up and deepened all previous results and findings. Current topics such as dealing with climate change and the World Cup in Qatar served as a hook. Under the motto "We are EU", all previous activities at the last meeting were summarized, deepened, and placed in a European context. All methods were strongly student-centred. Role plays, letter writing scenario techniques, interviews with local politicians, visits to radio stations and newspaper editorial offices were among the methods. All results are summarized, presented, and publicly displayed as far as possible. Overall, all participants improved their professional, methodological, and social skills. They recognize themselves as "change agents" for their own lives and the lives of others. Students perceived their role as active EU citizens, expressing their own opinions appropriately and respecting those of others. They developed their tolerance for ambiguity as well as a reflected and sensitive perception of various social and political interests. Teachers expand their knowledge/competences in developing projects, teaching units and materials, and their skills in developing collaborative forms of learning to promote self-directed lifelong learning. They provide syllabuses and materials that can be integrated into individual school curricula.