Date/time
Date(s) - 01/10/2022 - 31/07/2024
All day
Project type
Selected participants
Many young people in countries like Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Portugal are at risk of poverty and social exclusion. They don’t understand how democracy works and are not active citizens at the local and EU levels. Studies indicate that the main reason for the lack of participation of young people in European elections is related to socio-economic factors. Quality education and effective discussions with young people about EU participation and citizenship must be implemented for those who are least likely to engage in democracy or elections. This includes young people from disadvantaged communities, low-performing secondary schools, rural areas, smaller towns, and more.
The main goal of the project was to promote inclusive participatory democracy and support the involvement of young people who are least interested in the EU, in shaping local and especially European democracy, with a focus on participation in the 2024 EU elections.
During the project, 100 teachers from Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Portugal was trained in innovative methods of teaching democracy and the EU (such as games and other informal approaches).
1,250 students learn about democracy and the EU election process through experiential learning and engaging activities, helping them understand their role as citizens.
Teacher Training
In Spring, we organised two training sessions for secondary school teachers. In the online training they learned more about the EulectionPlay project and the possibilities of collaboration, but the most important thing was to present and teach them the EulectionVille game. The training took place on 24. April and 5. May 2023 and each training session lasted 2 hours.
EulectionVille is an award-winning game created by a civic studies teacher in Sweden. The game was distributed in about 50% of schools in Sweden and implemented in several European schools. As part of the European project EUlectionPlay, it will be implemented in Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Portugal.
EulectionVille Game in High Schools
A total of 10 high schools from across Slovakia participated in the Eulectionplay project.
By playing the EulectionVille game, students had the opportunity to understand democratic processes, the principles of political decision-making, and their complexity. They also practiced teamwork and presentation, argumentation, and discussion skills. The game brought an innovative, fun, and educational method of teaching to high school students.
What did the students say about the game?
Dominik: I liked the fact that we experienced authentic participation and interactivity because the activities in Electionville are interactive and engaging for students. For the first time in our lives, we made decisions about political strategies of our own and other political parties in the game and observed their interactions. Such interactivity helps us students better understand political processes and supports our active learning.
“The game was interesting; I liked that it led us to think and decide together.”
“It’s an educational game that taught me how to manage money. I had a chance to try how it works in politics.”
Online Seminars for High Schools
After completing the EulectionVille game, we connected with high school students online to motivate young voters to participate in the 2024 European Parliament elections. Students attended seminars where we briefly introduced the European Union – its activities, institutions, functioning, and the benefits of being part of it, and what they can utilize thanks to the EU. We asked if students perceive the EU as positive or negative. All students agreed on a positive approach. At the end, students filled out a short questionnaire to assess their interest in participating in the democratic process and elections.
Goals of the EulectionVille Game
- Active practice of teamwork, collaboration, presentation, argumentation, and discussion skills among youth.
- Ability to find logical arguments under pressure and engage in civilized discourse.
- Active pursuit of compromise and understanding of different viewpoints, as well as the ability to yield.
- Understanding of democratic processes, support for comprehending the principles of political decision-making and their complexity.
The game Electionville represents just the first phase of the European project EUlectionplay.
Ambassadors for the European Parliament elections 2024
As part of the project, we organised a competition for secondary school students to become ambassadors for the European Parliament elections. Participants were asked to create a creative contribution – whether in the form of a video, a photo collage or another original idea – to motivate young people to participate in the 2024 EP elections. From the many contributions we received, we selected the best ones and these students were awarded the title of ambassadors for the 2024 EP elections.
Their task was to organise an event at local level to explain to their peers why it is important to vote and how the EU affects their daily lives. Each ambassador also brought 10 recommendations that they and their classmates created during the event. These recommendations focused on how the responsible authorities can better motivate young people to engage in civic life and increase their interest in taking part in elections.
As a reward, the ambassadors were given the opportunity to visit the European Parliament office in Bratislava, where they took part in a workshop and discussion with representatives of the office. This experience opened new horizons and motivated them to be more involved in similar projects. Many ambassadors appreciated the organisation of the events, even if it meant stepping out of their comfort zone. They agreed that it is a beneficial and meaningful activity that helps to spread awareness and educate students on topics that go beyond the regular curriculum.
