{"id":176,"date":"2025-03-24T11:25:41","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T11:25:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/youthdemocraid.npo.one\/?p=176"},"modified":"2025-03-24T11:25:41","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T11:25:41","slug":"empowering-young-voices-democracy-in-action-at-liceo-laura-bassi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/index.php\/2025\/03\/24\/empowering-young-voices-democracy-in-action-at-liceo-laura-bassi\/","title":{"rendered":"Empowering Young Voices: Democracy in Action at Liceo Laura Bassi"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70)\"><figure class=\"alignwide wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/index.php\/2025\/03\/24\/empowering-young-voices-democracy-in-action-at-liceo-laura-bassi\/\" target=\"_self\"  ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"598\" height=\"310\" src=\"https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/whatsapp-image-2025-03-19-at-15-17-23-1.webp\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Empowering Young Voices: Democracy in Action at Liceo Laura Bassi\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/whatsapp-image-2025-03-19-at-15-17-23-1.webp 598w, https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/whatsapp-image-2025-03-19-at-15-17-23-1-300x156.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 598px) 100vw, 598px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We had the opportunity to visit Liceo Laura Bassi to introduce our project, Youth DemocrAID: Education, Debate, Action, through a series of interactive workshops aimed at promoting youth engagement and democratic values.&nbsp;In total, we conducted four workshops, each focused on a different topic but all united by a common goal: empowering young people to actively participate in democratic life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We began with a session on Ethical Standards and European Values, which served as a set of shared guidelines for how the workshops would be conducted \u2014 promoting respect, inclusivity, and open-minded dialogue.&nbsp;Following this, we introduced the CERV program (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values), providing context for the European framework supporting our work. After that, we presented the Youth DemocrAID project, outlining its goals of education, debate, and action for empowering young people in democratic participation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Community Action and Grassroots Initiatives<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under this theme, students took part in a dynamic activity called \u201cMap of Change.\u201d They identified key issues affecting their communities, explored their root causes and consequences, and reflected on how these challenges impact their daily lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We then moved to \u201cFrom Idea to Action,\u201d where students worked in teams to turn their ideas into real action plans. They organized their proposals into clear steps and presented them to the class for discussion and feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-794e3cfa wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"289\" height=\"361\" src=\"https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/untitled-design-5.webp\" alt=\"Two workshop participants posing for the photo in front of a projection of a slide presentation.\" class=\"wp-image-178\" srcset=\"https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/untitled-design-5.webp 289w, https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/untitled-design-5-240x300.webp 240w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 289px) 100vw, 289px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"line-height:1.5\"><strong>Youth and Civic Engagement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"line-height:1.5\">We kicked off this workshop with an energizer to boost motivation, followed by the activity \u201cMy First Political Party.\u201d Students created fictional political parties, including names, core values, and main policy ideas. This helped them better understand how political ideologies are formed and how parties represent different viewpoints in a democracy.<br><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We wrapped up with \u201cPolitical Compass,\u201d a quiz covering social and economic questions. Students reflected on their answers to discover where they stand politically and which ideologies align with their views. It was a fun and thoughtful way to explore personal beliefs and political positioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Political Participation and Advocacy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We started with a brief theoretical introduction, emphasizing how political participation strengthens democracy and shapes political awareness. Students learned about both conventional forms (like voting or joining parties) and unconventional ones (like protests and online activism).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Next, we played a \u201cMind Game\u201d where students created a crossword using the phrase \u201cPOLITICAL PARTICIPATION,\u201d brainstorming words and ideas connected to political life.<br>\u200b<br>Then we tested their knowledge through a Kahoot quiz about the political systems in Italy and the European Union. We closed the session with \u201cSpeed Debating,\u201d where students rotated tables to discuss a range of political topics. This helped them practice expressing their opinions, listening to others, and thinking critically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"511\" height=\"277\" src=\"https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/untitled-design-6.webp\" alt=\"Back view of projected presentation in the center with two workshop participants, one standing on each side, and four sitting in front.\" class=\"wp-image-179\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.8448337504469074;width:546px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/untitled-design-6.webp 511w, https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/untitled-design-6-300x163.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 511px) 100vw, 511px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Introduction to Democracy and Citizenship<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In our final workshop, we introduced the basics of how democracy works in Italy and invited students to share their knowledge. Using Mentimeter, we collected their opinions on the current state of democracy in their country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We ended with a game called \u201cBe a Fake News Content Creator.\u201d Students analyzed various news stories, learning how to distinguish between real and fake information. The activity highlighted how misinformation can harm democratic processes and the importance of media literacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"403\" height=\"307\" src=\"https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/untitled-design-7-1.webp\" alt=\"Projected presentation with two workshop participants, standing on each side.\" class=\"wp-image-181\" style=\"width:428px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/untitled-design-7-1.webp 403w, https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/untitled-design-7-1-300x229.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 403px) 100vw, 403px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throughout the sessions, we encouraged students to actively participate, think critically, and collaborate with their peers. Their enthusiasm and creativity were truly inspiring, and it was exciting to witness their engagement in shaping positive change within their communities.<br>\u200b<br>These workshops reaffirmed the importance of fostering youth-led initiatives and equipping young people with the tools to turn their ideas into meaningful action. We\u2019re proud to support a generation that is ready to make a difference.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We had the opportunity to visit Liceo Laura Bassi to introduce our project, Youth DemocrAID: Education, Debate, Action, through a series of interactive workshops aimed at promoting youth engagement and democratic values.&nbsp;In total, we conducted four workshops, each focused on a different topic but all united by a common goal: empowering young people to actively [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":177,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[13,16,20,22,28,44],"class_list":["post-176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-workshops","tag-civic-participation","tag-education","tag-european-elections","tag-european-union","tag-italy","tag-youth-engagement"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=176"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/177"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/youth-democraid.npo.one\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}