Transforming European Democracy Education Through Community-Led Research and Action

DEMOCREATE (Transforming European Democracy Education Through Community-Led Research and Action) is an international research and innovation project that aims to strengthen democratic competences, participation, and active citizenship across European education. The project addresses growing societal challenges such as political polarisation, declining trust in democratic institutions, and limited opportunities for young people to influence decisions that affect their lives, with particular attention to disadvantaged youth.

At the heart of DEMOCREATE is the Community-Led Research and Action (CLRA) methodology, through which students, educators, NGOs, and community members collaboratively investigate issues that matter to them and develop solutions through dialogue, shared decision-making, and collective action. Democracy is therefore experienced as a lived practice rather than only a subject of study.

The project will be implemented in five European countries across secondary education, vocational education and training, higher education, and non-formal learning settings. Through 220 CLRA cycles in 50 educational institutions, approximately 5,500 students, 220 educators, and 200 professionals will participate in co-creating democratic learning experiences, inclusive curricula, assessment practices, and institutional cultures.

DEMOCREATE will generate evidence on how participatory pedagogies strengthen citizenship competences and democratic culture. The project will produce practical tools, professional development models, micro-credentials, and policy recommendations for curriculum development, quality assurance, and teacher education. Its long-term goal is to establish sustainable partnerships between educational institutions, civil society organisations, and local communities, contributing to a more inclusive, participatory, and resilient democratic culture across Europe.

Europe is facing growing social and political polarisation, declining trust in democratic institutions, and increasing disengagement of young people from civic participation. While citizenship and democracy education are well established across European education systems, they often focus on teaching about democracy rather than enabling learners to experience and practise democratic participation in everyday life. Young people facing social, economic, or cultural disadvantages are particularly likely to encounter barriers to participation and influence.

The European Union and the Council of Europe have emphasised the need to strengthen active citizenship, participation, critical thinking, dialogue skills, and democratic culture at all levels of education. This requires new approaches in which democracy is not only taught as content but also lived through collaborative learning, shared decision-making, and collective action.

DEMOCREATE addresses this need by developing and researching the Community-Led Research and Action (CLRA) approach. Through CLRA, students, educators, civil society organisations, and local communities jointly identify societal challenges, investigate them, and create practical solutions. Building on previous European research and the Horizon Europe-funded YOUROPE project, DEMOCREATE extends this approach to secondary, vocational, higher, and non-formal education, promoting democratic participation, inclusion, and sustainable partnerships across Europe.

The main objective of DEMOCREATE is to strengthen democratic competences, active citizenship, and participatory cultures within European educational institutions. The project develops, implements, and scales the Community-Led Research and Action (CLRA) approach across secondary education, vocational education and training (VET), higher education, and non-formal learning environments in five European countries.

The project aims to:

- strengthen democratic and citizenship competences among young people, educators, and other professionals;
- increase participation and agency, particularly among disadvantaged youth;
- develop more inclusive, participatory, and democratic institutional cultures;
- build sustainable partnerships between educational institutions, civil society organisations, and local communities;
- generate robust evidence on the impact of participatory pedagogical approaches; and
- produce practical tools, professional development models, micro-credentials, and policy recommendations to support democratic education across Europe.

In the longer term, DEMOCREATE seeks to promote an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable democratic culture while strengthening the role of education in fostering active citizens and resilient democratic communities.

DEMOCREATE strengthens democratic competences, participation, and active citizenship among young people, educators, and other professionals by creating learning environments where democracy is experienced and practiced through participation, inquiry, and collective action. The project pays particular attention to young people who face social or educational barriers to participation.

Its impact extends from individuals to educational institutions and wider education systems. The project supports the development of participatory curricula, assessment practices, and decision-making models that foster more democratic institutional cultures. At the same time, it builds sustainable partnerships between educational institutions, civil society organisations, public authorities, and local communities.

Through extensive research and evaluation, DEMOCREATE will generate evidence on the effectiveness of participatory pedagogical approaches and support the wider adoption of innovative democratic learning practices. The project’s outcomes will inform teacher education, quality assurance, accreditation, and educational policy development. In the long term, DEMOCREATE aims to promote a more inclusive and equitable democratic culture and strengthen the capacity of European educational institutions to act as active contributors to democratic renewal.

Horizon Europe

Euroopan komissio