Vox Pop Academy Europe Erasmus Project

Project Title

Vox Pop Academy Europe

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Partnerships for Digital Education Readiness

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship

Project Summary

Today, an open public debate is as important as ever. As one of the most important elements of a healthy democracy, a public debate allows citizens to be introduced to the ideas and values of others while simultaneously sharpening their own. This public debate is gradually shifting from the physical to the digital domain. Online, however, things work differently. Many people, organizations and governments are concerned about the prevalence of fake news, hate speech, and self-enforcing echo chambers on the main online platforms.

Therefore stimulating and facilitating meaningful dialogues between students on societal and moral issues is believed to be a key element of civic education, both as a form and goal.

However, teachers across the European continent indicate they find it difficult to teach civic education online, and guiding discussions in particular. Moreover, several Dutch evaluations amongst students in vocational education have shown that the methods currently used in civic education are often not geared toward the experiences and interests of students, and therefore not motivating enough.

That is why this project aims to develop and validate a new, evidence based digital discussion platform for civic education on a European scale that allows students from different schools across the continent to discuss important, thought-provoking European topics in a unique way: anonymous, one-on-one, and without distractions!

The target group of this project are students in vocational education (MBO, or their respective equivalent) from the Netherlands, Romania, Italy, and Portugal. Studies on citizenship competences in vocational education have shown substantial lower levels amongst students in vocational tracks than amongst students in academic tracks, and less experience with discussions.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 205469 Eur

Project Coordinator

STICHTING ROC MIDDEN NEDERLAND & Country: NL

Project Partners

• AEVA – ASSOCIACAO PARA A EDUCACAO E VALORIZACAO DA REGIAO DE AVEIRO
• CENTRUL PENTRU PROMOVAREA INVATARII PERMANENTE TIMISOARA ASOCIATIA
• Stichting Are We Europe
• Consorzio degli Istituti Professionali
• Civinc
• UNIVERSITEIT UTRECHT