Title: Name of the Initiative/ project

Text: Describe in what it consists of, who organises it, how it is implemented and how students can take part in it and explain how it contributes to promote students' democratic participation and well-being. You can share a link to your school website if there is a reference to it in an article or so.

Illustration: a short video/ photo or photocollage to show the activity.

Students at our school Zs12 SPZOZ Wrocław joined the action "Letter Writing Marathon" is held every year around when International Human Rights Day falls. During the event, we mobilize students at our school to stand up in solidarity against human rights violations. The spark of courage is in each of us. We can speak out for a just cause. We can protest. We can write a letter. We can act together shoulder to shoulder with human rights defenders and advocates to fight injustice and build a more just world.

Read more at: www.maraton.amnesty.org.pl

11th November each year we are proud to celebrate our national day of independence. We discuss how to celebrate this day with teachers and we are free to contribute with ideas regarding this event. It is a very important celebration for us because more than 123 years ago Poland regained its independence and now we as a nation live in a free and a democratic country. On that that day it's very common to see people with national flags and singing national anthem. We pay tribute to those who fought for our freedom.

Training devoted to the usage of the first aid kit and operation of the AED defibrillator.

Our students participated in training in first aid and they learned how to use an AED defibrillator.

The training was organized as part of an educational project conducted by paramedics who were invited to train us how to save life in dangerous situations.

It ensures that each class in the high school has a voice and representation in matters concerning the student body as a whole. This promotes inclusivity and fairness by allowing students from various backgrounds and grades to participate in the decision-making process.

Democratic elections encourage student engagement and participation in the school's affairs. By giving students the opportunity to vote for their representatives, it fosters a sense of responsibility and ownership over their school community.

The school representative provides students with valuable leadership experience. They learn to articulate their ideas, collaborate with others, and advocate for their peers' interests, skills that are beneficial both in their academic and future careers.

Elected representatives are accountable to their fellow students. Through regular communication and feedback channels, they must ensure that they accurately represent their classmates' concerns and interests.

Participating in the electoral process helps students learn about the principles of democracy, including the importance of voting, the protection of individual rights, and the value of diverse perspectives. This fosters a deeper understanding of civic responsibility and the role of citizens in a democratic society.

Overall, democratic elections for high school representatives serve to empower students, promote democratic values, and create a more inclusive and vibrant school community.

This happens at our school with the Student Association in which students and teachers play a fundamental role in disseminating information about this initiative.

In October, the school begins the electoral process to elect student representatives. The notice is posted, together with the regulations and electoral rolls.

 Students can complain about the electoral roll. Applications begin when students submit lists of representatives.

The lists of candidates are posted, starting the electoral campaign. Candidates present proposals and convince voters.

 Election Day allows students to vote. The results are posted, revealing the new student representatives.

This process promotes civic participation and the construction of a more inclusive school community.

After the elective process, the inauguration takes place in the Management Room in the presence of the Director of the School Group.

The Association's members' main objective is to create and approve measures that aim to implement better functioning of the school premises, in terms of classrooms and social spaces. For example, celebrating commemorative dates, holding sports tournaments, etc.

In addition to being able to elect representatives, students can also apply and be elected to the position themselves.

Actually, choosing to abstain in terms of our democratic participation is not a correct decision, as we are not exercising our right to vote and the possibility of contributing to improving the school, so we will try to participate in the next elections.

To conclude, through this simple association, students have an opportunity to act directly in school democracy, and to express their opinions and concerns.

A Democratic environment in school is something that should always be proposed to students, as democracy is something fundamental for everyone. The biggest example of a democratic initiative that our school promotes, would be the Youth Parliament.

This is an activity which is established nationwide, promoted by the educational system, whose purpose is to attract more students into being more involved in politics.

The duration of this activity is held between September, where students candidate and form lists in their respective schools, and it finishes around May.

In this initiative, students can organize into lists as said earlier,ex:list A, list B, list C, etc…, with the maximum and necessary number of people to form one being 10. After that there are campaigns to promote your list, who can create 3 measures. Of course that as this is an activity that is realized every year, so every year there are different themes, such as mental-health, the environment, equality, and how we can improve our school within such themes. Then there are elections within the school, and with the number of votes you get, the bigger the number of members of your list get elected to go for the session in your school, to elect measures from different lists. Then they form a plan to be taken to the next level of the Initiative.

After that there are 3 people from that session who are voted as well, to go and represent the elected measures, on a district level session between different schools of such a district.

In that district level election, between several schools a plan of a school is voted as a base to follow, there is a huge debate between the different school representatives to choose such a plan. Then later on, there are 3 commissions of inquiry, each one composed of different schools, who can add two more measures to that plan, or can scrap one and substitute it for another one. After that they get together one more time, where such alterations are debated, and it is voted after the debate the final plan, who shall be taken to represent the school district to the actual Portuguese parliament. As already done in the first phase, 9 people( 3 different schools) are chosen to represent and defend the elected measures in the parliament against other school districts. 

Finally in the final phase, between all the proposed measures, it is voted and debated which plan shall be handed to the Ministry of Education, so that they can hear the opinions and ideas of the general students.

In our personal experience, it is a very good and well though Idea, that allows the students to be more involved in their education, and allows people from different places with different points of  view to get together and be more well-opened minded.

The Participatory Budgeting in Schools (OPE) represents an opportunity that ensures students the possibility to participate in the development of a project aimed at improving the schools they attend, from which the entire school community can benefit or potentially benefit.

Within the context of the Participatory Budgeting in Schools, students should present proposals that are relevant, particularly in terms of Inclusion and Well-being, with specific actions aimed at fostering the inclusion of the most vulnerable students, with the goal of promoting an inclusive school environment that enhances both individual and collective well-being.

 This initiative is coordinated by the Institute of Financial Management of Education, in coordination with the Directorate-General for School Establishments.

The Participatory Budgeting in Schools aims to stimulate students' democratic participation by valuing their opinions and their capacity for argumentation, reflection, and collective mobilization. It also aims to combat the deficit of trust and the detachment of citizens, especially the youth, from democratic institutions. Furthermore, it seeks to strengthen the democratic management of schools by encouraging students' participation.

As outlined in the regulation, the Participatory Budgeting in Schools (OPE) follows these dates:

 Until February 29th we have to submit our proposals; Until March 19th it will be the  discussion of the proposals,the proposals are voted between March 20th and 22nd and the results will be announced by the end of March. The planning of implementation by school is by the end of May. And finally the execution of the measure is at the end of the respective calendar year.

 To participate on the participatory budget proposal we must subscribe individually by one student proponent, or collectively by a maximum of 5 student proponents, it was to be supported by at least 5% of students from the 3rd cycle of basic education and/or secondary education attending the respective school, clearly identified by their name, student number, and signature and the proposals should be contained within a text of up to 1000 words, with or without an illustrative image.

 The Participatory Budgeting in Schools project is a powerful way to awaken young people's interest in actively participating in democratic decisions and to develop a critical sense to improve school well-being. By seeing their ideas being considered and implemented, students feel empowered and motivated to further engage in the democratic process, promoting a more inclusive, participatory, and responsible school environment.

We haven't participated yet, but we would like to contribute to the well-being of our school! Currently, it wouldn't be possible to participate because the deadlines have passed. However, we will wait for next year to find out what the theme will be and participate.

The activity will be held during the week of the 22nd of April to the 26th, consisting of marching around our villa with posters that have inspirational quotes that were also shown during the actual day of liberation, such as, “No more Inequality.”

The way we took part so far in this activity so far was by making the posters that we will be showcasing in our march. 

This initiative is based on: Class delegates are elected by all members of the class. All students put the name of a member of the class that they believe is responsible and that gives us confidence so that we can then deal with all class matters. This is held annually, at the beginning of the year.

Basically it consists that the delegate must regularly listen to the class and represent it whenever necessary and mediate possible conflicts. Delegates are very important for the smooth functioning of the class, due to some important decisions they have to make.

They are called to the general council to name some measures about what they can change in the school and in the class on behalf of the entire class. If the delegate is absent, he is replaced by the sub-delegate who will then represent the class.

Our experience with this was very brief, we never applied to be delegates, but we already elected the delegate where we listened to their proposals and wrote on a piece of paper the name of the person we wanted to represent us.

This becomes very useful for students as it becomes easier to have one element represent the class instead of the whole class.

Now, in every class at the beginning of the term with the class teacher and students a class representitive is being selected to council of honour. So finally we have 20 classes and 20 representites had already been selected. Among them one student is elected as the leader of the twent representatives. He is also a member of school discipline council with three teachers and he sometimes joins the meetings which are held in the Directorate of National Education.

Here you can watch our ntervies with Mikail, our school representative.

By Şebnem-Yaren-Sarya

During one of our history lessons, we had a presentation in which the history of democracy was displayed for us. We learnt that the concept of democracy dates back to ancient Greece. In my opoinion it must be an amazing concept because people have practised democracy for a very long time. Thanks to those initiatives in the past we can be free to do what we wish as long as no harm is done to another person. We used this presentation we found on the internet

For one day they become politicians and they try to do their job. This is a fantastic oportunity for young people to feel like they mean something and can make a diffrence. This is the place where there are debates, discussions and important decisions are made.

every time an excursion is organized we have a decisive vote in choosing the place.