Council Simulation
It’s a method, which helps to improve participant’s knowledge about councils in general, but mainly in his town/village. It includes visit of the real council act.
Target group
- Teenagers (cca. 13 – 18 years)
- Young adults (cca. 17 – 26 years)
- Youth with fewer opportunities
- Youth workers
Content
This method of education improves youth’s knowledge of working councils. It’s very important, because every citizen should have known about it. Decisions of council influence lives of all people in the city/village. After this method, participants should know more about it and they could easily make a way into into the whole system of councils. During the process of education, participants work in the groups. That improves their abilities in different ways.
Materials
Papers, pencils, markers and other stuff like thisSpecific Environment
School room, library; last part is the best in a town hallSpecific goals
Raising the level of skills that are useful/helpful for youth to their social involvement/participation ( such as self-confidence, leadership, …); inspiration to start active political life; Advise young people how to put their entrepreneurial ideas into social practice (e.g. presentation of project methodology, strategical planning, etc.)Description
DAY 1
In the morning, participants are informed about the project, program and they make rules of the project.
In next part, they are divide into 3 groups and they absolve 3 stands:
- What are they expecting from the project?
- Big map of their city/village and they have to write here places they like or dislike.
- What means democracy for them?
After that, all stands are read and there is a discussion.
Then, participants learn something about councils in general. They make a presentation about what mayor can and can’t do. The same, only about councillor, makes another group. Last group learns something about separation of power in state.
LUNCH
After lunch, participants visit real council act. They write some notes and motivate themselves before their own council act.
DAY 2
The meeting is in the town hall. Firstly, groups from yesterday absolve quiz about yesterday. Then, real councillors come and each group get one of them. The first task is to make their own political party. They prepare their own proposals and they are informed about other’s proposals, so they can prepare questions about it.
LUNCH
After lunch, simulation starts. It lasts approximately 2–3 hours, depends on activity of participants. After that, there is a reflection about project.
Outcomes and its measurability
If the proposals that participants have suggested take councillors attention, they can become real proposals in the real council.
Project in which the method has been used
It was part of a big project, which included a lot of these simulations around Czechia.