Mapping Civic Education in Europe

IREX Albania
IREX Albania is the official branch of IREX, a global development and education organization. IREX invests in youth and communities by promoting quality education, professional development, civic engagement, and job skills. In Albania, IREX is focusing on media literacy projects for young and adult audiences, throughout the country. Their programs aim at building resilience to misinformation and propaganda among consumers of news and aim to amplify diverse youth citizen journalists and facilitate civic participation by engaging youth on issues of interest.

Contact
Emiljano Kaziaj, PhD
https://www.irex.org

Austrian Society for Civic Education | Österreichische Gesellschaft für Politische Bildung – ÖGPB
The Austrian Society for Civic Education is a professional organization, founded in 1977, aiming at the promotion of adult civic education in Austria. It operates an annual national funding program for civic education projects organized by adult education institutions and NGOs. Additionally, the Austrian Society for Civic Education develops and offers a broad variety of training programs and other learning formats. These are directed mainly at adult education professionals.

Contact
Rahel Baumgartner,
www.politischebildung.at

polis – the Austrian Centre for Citizenship Education in Schools
polis is the leading pedagogical service institution for citizenship education for Austrian schools. The institution acts as an advisory centre produces materials for teaching and learning, designs trainings for teachers and other multipliers, and operates the largest information platform for citizenship education in Austria.

Contact
Dr. Patrica Hladschik,
www.politik-lernen.at or www.politik-lernen.at/english

Democracy Centre Vienna (Demokratiezentrum Wien)
The Democracy Centre Vienna is an interdisciplinary non-profit organisation, strongly oriented to applying and conveying knowledge. It is a research institution and a virtual knowledge centre with a broad range of multimedia e-content that deals with citizenship education, digital citizenship and political culture; it is concerned with processes of democratization and participation, current socio-political debates with regard to the civil society, commemorative cultures, different concepts of citizenship and migration, democratic citizenship education, the European Union, the media society as well as with IT-transformation and the knowledge society.

Contact
Lara Möller,
https://www.demokratiezentrum.org/

BELvue museum
The BELvue is much more than a museum on Belgium and its history, it is a project with an ambitious societal goal: to support and stimulate democratic and citizenship education for the public at large, and young people in particular. Exhibitions, workshops, trainings, events…. the power of critical thinking about society is central in all our activities, but always linked to historical conscience and an understanding of the challenges of today.

Contact
An Lavens
https://belvue.be/en

Sofia Platform
The Sofia Platform Foundation is a non-governmental organization working in the field of history and civic education since 2013, based in Sofia, Bulgaria. Its work is focused in these three main fields: enhancing democratic political culture through citizenship education and civic dialogue; promoting remembrance and dealing with the communist past through historical dialogue and education; and informing the debate on historical legacy, transition and democracy consolidation through research and public dialogue (discussions).

Contact
Borislav Dimitrov
sofiaplatform.org

Stiftung Wissen am Werk
Zaklada Znanje na Djelu
Znanje na djelu/Wissen am Werk is a Croatian based NGO bringing together the worlds of education and business. With its programs, ZND brings pupils to companies and institutions where they can see and experience occupations first-hand. By helping pupils decide which career to choose in the diverse world of business, ZND actively takes part in empowering future citizens.

Contact
Kristina Markić
znanjenadjelu.hr

Association of Non-Formal Education (ANEV)
Efforts of Association of Non-Formal Education (ANEV) focus on perceiving education from a wider kontext than only from the schools‘ perspective. Non-formal education is a tool to change views on education and learning, including civic education. ANEV is an NGO that works on national as well as on international level, developing publications, research and delivering trainings for youth workers and educators to support the quality and diversity of non-formal education and deepen its impact on the learners.

Contact
Anežka Dvořáková
anev.cz

The Peace Education Institute
The Peace Education Institute is a Finnish, politically non-aligned peace organisation for educators who work in formal and non-formal education settings. In practice, this means supporting teachers, youth workers or activists who are interested in creating safer, more inclusive and equal spaces in their work and in wider society. Work is guided by three themes that are anti-racism, equality, and global citizenship. Education, methods, materials, and support are offered for educators and activists in their daily work.

Contact
Riikka Jalonen
https://rauhankasvatus.fi/en/

The Franco-German Youth Office (FGYO)
The Franco-German Youth Office (FGYO) is an international organization in the service of Franco-German cooperation. Founded by the Élysée Treaty in 1963, its mission is to deepen relations between young people from both countries, to strengthen interculturality in our civil societies and to give new impulses for a united Europe. Since 1963, the FGYO has enabled more than 9 million young people from Germany and France to participate in almost 380,000 exchange programmes. Every year, the FGYO sponsors 8,000 encounters involving around 190,000 young people and works with 8,000 partner organizations and project partners. More information here.

Contact
Florian Staudt
The Franco-German Youth Office (FGYO)

Dora Katsamori
Dora Katsamori, Post-doctoral Researcher at the Institute of Informatics & Telecommunication of the National Center for Scientific Research ‘Demokritos’ and the Department of Social and Educational Policy of the University of the Peloponnese.

Dora Katsamori holds a BA in Political Science and Public Administration, a Master degree in Social Discrimination, Migration and Citizenship and a PhD in the field of prison education. She has a long experience as project coordinator and researcher in European and national funded research projects and as educator in the field of civic and political education. She is also working as consultant of the European Wergeland Center in the field of refugee education in Greece.

Contact
Dora Katsamori
II&T, NCSR ‘Demokritos’
Department of Social and Educational Policy of the University of the Peloponnese

INVALSI
INVALSI is the public research organization entrusted by the Ministry of Education with the evaluation of the Italian education and training system. It carries out periodic and systematic assessments of students’ knowledge and skills; ensures Italian participation in international large-scale surveys in the field of evaluation (such as OECD PISA and TALIS and IEA TIMSS, PIRLS and ICCS), representing the country in the competent bodies; carries out research activities and studies the causes of failure and dropout; provides support and technical assistance to schools and local authorities for the implementation of autonomous monitoring initiatives, evaluation and self-evaluation.

Contact
Laura Palmerio
invalsi.it

Civil Society Institute
The Civil Society Institute is a centre for the analysis of public policy, based in Vilnius, Lithuania. Its goals include the dissemination of information relevant to public policy issues, and implementation of educational projects. The Civil Society Institute was founded by the Open Society Fund in Lithuania and President Valdas Adamkus Foundation in July 2004.

Contact
Ieva Petronytė-Urbonavičienė, PhD
civitas.lt

Zentrum fir politisch Bildung 
The Zentrum fir politesch Bildung (Centre for Citizenship Education) is an independent foundation, created in 2016. Its aim is to promote active citizenship by offering educational material and activities as well as trainings on political and social topics. Through publications, discussions and exhibitions it promotes the understanding of democratic processes and social challenges. The foundation encourages participation by supporting institutions of formal and non-fomal education in developing or strengthening democratic structures.

Contact
Michèle Schilt
www.zpb.lu

Dr Pen Lister is currently an RSO III for the SMARTEL Erasmus+ Project and specialist lecturer in emerging digital pedagogies, based at the Department of Leadership for Learning & Innovation, Faculty of Education, University of Malta. She holds an MA Learning & Teaching in Higher Education and MSc Multimedia Systems, is a (UK) Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Member of the British Computer Society. Her recent doctorate investigated learner experience in civic activities as smart learning journeys, using the methodology of Phenomenography. A former Lecturer and Senior Lecturer at London Metropolitan University, she has given lectures and talks at the Royal College of Art and University of Oxford.

Contact
Dr. Pen Lister

ProDemos
ProDemos is the ‘House for Democracy and the Rule of Law’. Their job is to help explain the systems that govern democracy and the rule of law, and to show what citizens themselves can do to exert political influence – at municipal, water board, provincial, national and European level. They are active throughout th​e Netherlands and collaborate with municipal and provincial authorities, district courts and education institutions. For schools ProDemos organises political excursions, guest teachers, role-plays and lesson materials on current topics related to democracy and the rule of law: a wealth of resources for making lessons both concrete and engaging.

Contact
Tatjana Meijvogel-Volk
prodemos.nl

The Institute for Democracy “Societas Civilis” – Skopje (IDSCS)
The Institute for Democracy “Societas Civilis” – Skopje (IDSCS) is a Macedonian based think-tank organisation that is non-governmental, non-partisan and non-profit. It was established in 1999 by a group of intellectuals gathered around the idea of democracy, solidarity and civil society. The long term objectives of the Institute include the work on balanced socio-economic development, active citizenship and participative political culture. In this direction, we focus our activities on rule of law, good governance and multi-ethnic and multicultural coexistence. IDSCS’s work is primarily based on sociometric research and project-based activities. We believe that human capital is a key precondition for positive social change, hence we eagerly undertake capacity building projects based on skills and knowledge transfer. Finally, our society’s improvement is directly linked to the availability of resources for self-reflection. In this sense, we advocate policy recommendations and strive to enrich the public discourse through the promotion of evidence-based policy, publishing and public events.

Contact
Marko Troshanovski
idscs.org.mk

Institute of Public Affairs Foundation
Institute of Public Affairs, IPA (Warsaw) is a leading Polish think tank and an independent centre for policy research and analysis, established in 1995. Its mission is to contribute to informed public debate on key Polish, European and global policy issues. Its main areas of study include European policy, social policy, civil society, migration and development policy as well as law and democratic institutions.

Contact
Filip Pazderski
isp.org.pl/en

Research Centre on Peoples and Cultures (CEPCEP)
Research Centre on Peoples and Cultures (CEPCEP) is a research centre of the Portuguese Catholic University, established in February 1983. CEPCEP pursues the development of culture, knowledge, advanced research, and co-operation in the intellectual, artistic, technological and scientific fields, bringing together people from different walks in life and from various continents. In accordance with its charter, CEPCEP aims at furthering the understanding of human and cultural interactions throughout the world and the collaboration in the advancement of knowledge in all fields related to human and social behaviour. From 1983 to date CEPCEP has maintained a high academic profile with an adequate geographical representation: Portugal, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The Centre has carried out numerous courses, intensive seminars and exhibits a wide portfolio of research projects.

Contact
Patricia Dias
https://fch.lisboa.ucp.pt/faculty-knowledge/research-centres/cepcep-research-centre-peoples-and-cultures

Rațiu Democracy Centre
The Rațiu Democracy Centre (Centrul Rațiu pentru Democrație – CRD) was established in 2004 in Turda, Romania, with the support of the Rațiu Family Charitable Foundation, to maintain, analyse and explore our commitment to democratic values and to honour the significant legacy of Ion Rațiu (1917-2000), today a still widely respected politician who returned to Romania in 1990 after 50 years in exile to support the restoration of a free parliamentary democracy after 47 years of communism.

Contact
Alis Costescu
ratiucentre.com

Centre for Education and Innovations (CEDIN)
Centre for Education and Innovations (CEDIN) facilitates active, interactive and multiperspective learning and teaching into formal and informal civics and history education. Focuses on development and delivery of teacher training programs and learning and teaching materials. Cooperates with authorities and stakeholders in providing teacher training programs and actively contributes to projects and programs on European level. CEDIN is an active and proud member of EuroClio.

Contact
Lukáš Katriňák,
http://cedin.sk

Institute for Active Citizenship (IPAO):

Institute for Active Citizenship/Inštitút pre aktívne občianstvo (IPAO) was established in 2015 with the vision of contributing to the development of a mature, functional and sustainable civil society based on active, respectful, attentive and critically thinking citizens. They believe that proactive civic attitude has to be systematically developed already in schools, which is why they created an original educational program for teachers called Schools Changing the World. The program combines professional experience and knowledge with the principles of experiential and non-formal education and is available for all types of schools regardless of the school founder type as well as for all the teachers who are interested in developing the potential of active citizenship in their students. IPAO also focuses on the support, development and education of members and coordinators of the student councils at schools and, last but not least, of school directors for whom the Schools Changing the World program offers several tailor-made trainings. In 2018, IPAO initiated to establish the so-called Initiative for Civic Education which networks and interconnects the organisations and individuals working in the field of civic and global education with the aim of jointly promoting systemic change in education towards active citizenship being a key pillar of successful democracy.

Contact:
Jana Feherpataky-Kuzmová,
https://ipao.sk 

Tomaž Deželan, Professor of Political Science at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ljubljana and Assistant Secretary-General of the University of Ljubljana

Tomaž Deželan coordinated more than 17 basic and applicative research projects related to youth and citizenship education. His current projects include research on citizenship education of youth, capacity of youth organizations, and the effects of the Erasmus + programme on youth (RAY), prevention of radicalization of youth, transition of youth to the world of work, entrepreneurship of young people, substantive political representation of young people, shrinking youth civic spaces and political participation of youth. Prof. Deželan acted as consultant of various international organizations active in the field of youth as well as governments and local authorities. He authored or co-authored more than 70 academic works and policy papers.

Contact
Tomaž Deželan
https://www.uni-lj.si/university/

The European Foundation Society and Education
The European Foundation Society and Education creates spaces for reflection about contemporary and strategic issues in education. One of its work areas is the relationship between education and culture, the concept of citizenship and the promotion of democratic values within educational systems. In the light of the research conducted by its analysts and collaborators, it aims at building an open meeting point and creating networks between administrations, the educative community and society.

Contact
Lola Velarde,
Rafael López Meseguer,
www.sociedadyeducacion.org/en/

Ulas Bayraktar was an associate professor of political science working and publishing on civic participation, urban democracy and local governments. He was expelled from  public function for being among the petitioners of a call for peace. He has then founded  a cafe-library (Kültürhane) with other expelled scholars in Mersin, Turkey. Since then they organise talks, meetings and social events to sustain their relationship with the public and continue to read, reflect, write and publish on a wide scope of areas.

Contact
Ulas Bayraktar
https://www.kulturhane.org/index.html