SHORT ADVANCED PROGRAM
From Disagreement to Dialogue — Strengthening Democracy and Trust
Date: 9-10-11 February
Location: NHL Stenden University, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
SAP Overview
This is an innovative programme that places education at the heart of sustaining and renewing democratic life in Europe.
In a time when our democratic values are increasingly at stake, and when voices grow louder and divisions deeper, schools and teachers play a vital role in keeping democracy alive.
Rooted in the core European values of freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and human rights, this SAP invites participants to explore how education can foster freedom of speech, counter polarisation and extreme opinions, and rebuild trust in democratic institutions — starting from their own classrooms.
Through interactive and participatory methods, hands-on workshops, and collaborative learning, participants will be encouraged to develop critical thinking, engage in intercultural dialogue, and reflect on democratic citizenship.
More than teaching about values, this SAP educates for social justice and democratic participation — transforming principles into practice, ideas into initiatives, and knowledge into active citizenship. Teachers will learn how to turn disagreement into meaningful dialogue and inspire students to become socially innovative citizens who act for freedom, fairness, inclusion, and justice.
By the end of the three-day training, participants will leave not only with new insights and renewed motivation, but also with a ready-to-use project plan designed to foster democratic participation and social innovation in their educational contexts.
| DURATION | 1 hour online 3 days-face to-face |
| DATE | 9-10 February |
| LOCAL | NHL Stenden, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands |
| LANGUAGE | English |
| ACADEMIC RECOGNITION | 1 |
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the SAP, participants will be able to:
- Identify and critically reflect on the core concepts of democratic citizenship, social justice, freedom of speech, civic participation, and trust in democratic institutions within educational and community contexts.
- Apply participatory and collaborative methodologies to foster constructive dialogue, inclusion, and intercultural understanding, while promoting European values such as freedom, equality, the rule of law, and human rights through education.
- Co-create an innovative educational project plan that mobilises students, teachers, and community stakeholders towards democratic action and social innovation — turning ideas into initiatives and knowledge into social change.
- Assess and enhance the social innovation impact of their educational practices, by identifying indicators of change, fostering reflection, and scaling up successful initiatives within their institutions or communities.
- Integrate social innovation competences and democratic values into their professional practice, acting as agents of change who promote inclusive, participatory, and transformative learning environments.
Some examples of practice
- Recognising how polarisation, extreme opinions, and disinformation affect democratic values and civic engagement in schools.
- Designing classroom activities that transform disagreement into meaningful dialogue and shared reflection.
- Developing an educational project that engages students in real-life challenges related to social justice and democratic participation.
- Establishing simple evaluation mechanisms to monitor progress in civic participation, inclusion, or trust-building.
- Embedding democratic and social innovation principles into everyday teaching, school culture, and collaborative projects.
Structure
PART 1 – ONLINE (optional)
February 4th, 16:00–17:00 CET (Central European Time, Amsterdam)
Objectives / Goals
- Welcome participants and get to know each other.
- Introduce the EU-SIDE Project and its focus on democratic education and social innovation in Europe.
- Present the SAP programme, including its goals, structure, learning approach, and expected outcomes.
- Explore the relationship between disagreement, dialogue, democratic values, and trust in educational contexts.
- Introduce the Social Innovation Competence Framework, with a focus on competences related to participation, inclusion, and civic engagement.
- Get to know the SAP-program that will guide participants’ collaborative work during the three-day SAP.
FACE-TO-FACE WEEK
Monday, February 9th
Tuesday, February 10th
Wednesday, February 11th
Lead and Home Organization:
NHL Stenden
Rengerslaan 8-10
8917 DD Leeuwarden
The Netherlands
