GrafStat - Software for Empirical Studies in Civic Education
The didactic profile of "Research-with-GrafStat"-projects developed for citizenship education is arranged consistently in such a way as to address teenagers not so much as learners, but rather as persons who are interested in gaining insights, clarifying empirical facts, coming to decisions and representing those in public. Therefore, it is a powerful tool for participatory citizenship education in schools and youth as well as adult learning facilities. Since 2007 an international version called GrafStat International - "Youth and Europe" exists in four languages (German, English, French and Polish), which offers a number of highly usable examples of how the software GrafStat enables the conduct of high-quality surveys, both evaluating international youth group encounters and youth projects, as well as exploring the topic "Youth and Europe". An Italian version is being prepared at the moment.
"Youth and Europe" is also the heading of a unit focussing on European policies, which integrates a classical teaching unit into an activating practical research project. Main idea: Young people interview young people about their opinions on Europe and the EU, and about their viewpoint on the future of Europe. Referring to typical problems of European policies, pupils obtain knowledge about the development of the European Union, European institutions and the political process. At the moment the materials of the teaching unit are available in German only. However, the questionnaire is partly based on questions in the Eurobarometer and available in several languages. The aim is to enable co-operation between schools, classes and out-of-school educational agencies in different European countries. Surveys should be conducted in different European countries. The results are shared, and students then have a data basis for an international comparison of young people´s visions of the future of Europe. Joint future workshops to develop new perspectives for the future of the EU can be initialised between partner schools on the basis of the results of the survey. The Federal Agency for Civic Education supports the advancement of GrafStat as well as the development of projects for the classroom.
More information available at:
»www.bpb.de/grafstat«
»www.forschen-mit-grafstat.de/«
»www.grafstat.de«
Also, you may find information about GrafStat at the NECE Website Events/Documentation (Networking Conference in Strasbourg 2008).
Contacts:
Uwe Diener (Programme author)
University of Münster (Germany)
Department for Educational and Social Studies
Wolfgang Sander (Administration)
Sabine Kühmichel
E-Mail: info@forschenmitgrafstat.de
Federal Agency for Civic Education
Franz Kiefer, Koordinierungsstelle Didaktik
Newsbox
NECE newsletter 01/12 - Out now!
This edition focuses on Croatia’s accession to the European Union and lobbying in the EU´s "inoffical capital" Brussels. Also, the newsletter informs about this year`s NECE Conference in Córdoba, Spain and the work and aims of the European Forum Alpbach.
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NECE Conference, 21-24 November 2012, Córdoba, Spain
Participation Now! Citizenship Education and Democracy in Times of Change
In the focus of the NECE Conference 2012 there are current concepts of democracy and participation in the face of worldwide processes of change as well as crises in politics, society and economy. The NECE Conference is supposed to pursue the question of what might be an appropriate reaction to these obvious and new questions and developments of crisis – not only in the West. The Conference provides an interdiciplinary platform for a dialogue among multiplicators of citizenship education and civil society in Europe on the one hand and "non-European" countries on the move on the other. Actors particularly from the North African region are invited to tell about their experiences and problems and to initiate a process of learning and exchanging.
Go to conference website
FutureLab Europe, the Council of Young European Citizens
17 FutureLab Europe participants present and debate the findings of their report “One passport, one people? The role of democratic citizenship in building a new Europe" on 26 March 2012 in Brussels. The whole report you can download here.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
We are excited to announce a new opportunity to make your voice heard and let us know your thoughts on an especially pressing issue for today's Europe: social justice. We are interested in your view of justice in your country, justice in Europe and an unconditional basic income. Together with FutureLab Europe and the Körber Foundation we have developed a short survey and now we need YOUR voice. Participate at »www.europeandme.eu/survey« and share!
Your view will help informing a discussing in Belfast in June. And of course we will share the outcomes of the survey and our debate with you.
About "Pilorama Lab"
The European Youth Forum “Pilorama Lab“ is going to take place from July 25-28, 2012 in the City of Perm and on the territory of the Memorial Centre of the History of Political Repressions “Perm36“ (»www.perm36.ru«). Themes will be “Urban Space. Ecology. Civic Participation“, “Ethnic Minorities. Access to Natural Resources. Human Rights“, “Historical Legacy. Political Education. Design“ as well as “Social Entrepreneurship. Businesses and NGOs“. Applications for participation should be submitted before May 15, 2012. More information at: »www.piloramalab.org«
