Date/time
Date(s) - 01/10/2022 - 30/03/2024
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 is 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 will be trained in innovative methods of teaching democracy and the EU (such as games and other informal approaches).
1,250 students will learn about democracy and the EU election process through experiential learning and engaging activities, helping them understand their role as citizens.
Teacher Training
In May, we organized two training sessions for high school teachers. Through online training, they learned more about the EulectionPlay project and collaboration opportunities. The highlight was introducing and teaching them the game EulectionVille.
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.
Soon, students from some high schools will be able to play the Democracy and Local Governance Game and understand the significant role they play in elections.
The game Electionville represents just the first phase of the European project EUlectionplay.
