YOUNG STUDENTS AS POLITICAL GAME CHANGERSDEVELOPING AN EASY-TO-USE MODEL FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO HELP ENGAGE YOUNG STUDENTS IN POLITICS BASED ON THEIR OWN INTERESTS AND THEIR 21ST CENTURY CULTURE

DEVELOPING AN EASY-TO-USE MODEL FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO HELP ENGAGE YOUNG STUDENTS IN POLITICS BASED ON THEIR OWN INTERESTS AND THEIR 21ST CENTURY CULTURESome years ago it would have been less understandable and perhaps even irrelevant for secondary schools to take initiatives to what we can call “politics engagement of youth”.“Politics” in this project does not indicate any form of specific political preferences, but simply means “taking active part in local and global challenges as citizens”.It therefore links strongly to the EU Commission’s long-standing call for active citizenship – and this needs to start in secondary school.The Commission calls for systematic initiatives to re-engage youth in politics – based on their own understanding and voices.M I S S I O NThe project will through innovative methods address the urgent challenge of young students increasing disengagement in politics.Asking: how can open schooling in secondary schools contribute to engaging youth in politics, democracy and EU values?Co-driven by young students, it will create innovative open schooling guidelines to schools on how to organise engagement in politics initiatives.C H A L L E N G ETO TACKLE THIS CHALLENGE, THE TRADITIONAL UNDERSTANDING OF POLITICS, DEMOCRACY AND EU VALUES MUST BE FUNDAMENTALLY QUESTIONED AND DECONSTRUCTED AND THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES MUST BE ALLOWED TO TAKE THE SCENE AND CO-CREATE WHAT POLITICS, DEMOCRACY AND EU VALUES MEAN IN THEIR WORLD AND HOW SCHOOLS CAN PROVIDE THE NECESSARY SPACE FOR SUCH YOUTH-DRIVEN INNOVATION.R A T I O N A L EThe project will invite students to co-create attractive and practically useful guidance to secondary schools on how to prevent disinterest and foster engagement in politics, democracy and values.The guidance will be developed through real-life/time open schooling and will be based on practical experience, not on theoretical assumptions.M E T H O D O L O G I C A L Based on intensive studies of recent critical youth participation research and based on the Commission’s innovation in education agenda it can be concluded that 3 work methods need to work together to bring about the expected innovation and results: preventing disinterest and fostering engagement in politics in early schooling.Why these 3 methodologies and why must they work together?There are 3 fundamental conditions for preventing disinterest and fostering engagement in politics in early schooling and in education in general:1. Didactic methodologyTraditional didactics in secondary school must be changed into innovative open schooling didactics to bring about interest and engagement2. Co-creation methodologyThe principles and work forms of interest and engagement fostering politics and learning must be developed and co-created by the young students themselves, not deducted from whatever educational theory3. Subjective engagement methodology21st century youth is characterised by a number of subjective engagement conditions and criteria very different from earlier generations; if those engagement criteria are not met, they will not engageW O R K P R O G R A M M EIt is a framework that might be adjusted by the student teams.It responds to: what activities will lead to the creation of the open schooling guidance and to the outcomes in general?It is defined by:Phase 1: CAPACITY- building consensus and implementation capacity among partners and student teams3 monthsPhase 2: DECONSTRUCTION- wild youth-led dialogues: questioning and deconstructing key elements in traditional political discourse3 monthsPhase 3 A: OPEN SCHOOLING / COMMUNITY- young students as politics detectives: What does politics mean locally? What needs to be changed locally? Learning on demand…4 months+Phase 3 B: OPEN SCHOOLING / VIRTUAL- young students as politics detectives: What does politics mean globally, on the internet and in the social networks? Why are youth engaging and in what? Learning on demand…4 months+Phase 4: CONSTRUCTION- youth-led construction of an alternative political discourse, based on the practical community and virtual detecting; 4 monthsPhase 5: CONSTRUCTION+- consultancy: feedback from teachers, schools, researchers and policy-makers to the youth-led construction2 monthsPhase 6: PRODUCING & SHARING- production of final outcomes- sharing in the 3 networks4 monthsO U T C O M E SThe Game Changer- The school guide to engagement of young students in politics and democracy, including virtual scenariosHow we can change the political game- Study of the reasons for the lack of interest in politics and democracy among the young generationsThe video- Student teams explain their engagement in the politics detectives missions and how they along the project developed an alternative understanding of and language for politics, democracy and EU valuesEU, where are you going? – policy paper- A reflexion based on why EU is losing its young generation