Professor Bryony Hoskins presented findings from the EU Horizon G-EPIC project, which examined political self-efficacy, civic engagement, and girls‘ empowerment across several European countries. The research demonstrated that inclusive civic education can significantly increase young people’s confidence in understanding politics and participating in democratic life.

Tim Pires Alves shared insights from the German implementation of the project and reflected on both the opportunities and challenges facing civic education in German schools.

The discussion was moderated by Dr. Robert Keeling, brought his expertise in UK–German relations and international municipal cooperation to the conversation. His perspective helped connect the research findings with the broader importance of democratic resilience and cross-border collaboration.

One of the most valuable aspects of the evening was the exchange between different European perspectives, particularly those of London and Berlin. While educational systems and political cultures differ, many of the challenges facing democratic education are remarkably similar across Europe.

A particularly important finding presented during the event was that girls‘ political self-efficacy declines significantly during adolescence in nearly all participating countries. Rather than losing interest in politics, many young women lose confidence in their ability to influence political processes and create meaningful change. This underlines the importance of educational approaches that empower young people to recognise that their voices matter and that democratic participation is both possible and impactful.

The G-EPIC project also showed that relatively small classroom interventions can have measurable effects. Through collaborative learning, positive role models and inclusive teaching methods, students reported greater confidence in their political knowledge, their ability to participate in democratic processes and their capacity to contribute to society.

The evening reinforced a central message: democracy cannot be taken for granted. Building resilient democratic societies requires sustained investment in civic education that is accessible, inclusive and evidence-based, enabling all young people to develop the confidence and skills needed for democratic participation.

We sincerely thank Professor Bryony Hoskins, Tim Pires Alves and Dr. Robert Keeling for their valuable contributions. We also extend our gratitude to the Berliner Landeszentrale für politische Bildung and the Berlin Senate Chancellery for supporting this event and their continued commitment to democratic education and civic dialogue.

Im Mittelpunkt standen sowohl die Chancen und Herausforderungen von KI als auch deren praktische Anwendung im beruflichen Alltag. Viele der Teilnehmenden hatten zuvor noch keine Erfahrungen mit KI-Tools gesammelt und konnten im Workshop erste eigene Anwendungen ausprobieren.

Dabei wurde schnell deutlich, wie vielseitig die Einsatzmöglichkeiten sind: Von der Entwicklung von Logos über die Erstellung von Website-Texten bis hin zur Planung von Arbeitsabläufen und Packlisten für Baustellen. Die Teilnehmenden konnten verschiedene Werkzeuge testen, Fragen stellen und gemeinsam Erfahrungen sammeln.

Besonders wertvoll war die Erkenntnis, dass Künstliche Intelligenz kein abstraktes Zukunftsthema sein muss. Gerade für Selbstständige und kleine Handwerksbetriebe kann sie dabei helfen, Arbeitsprozesse effizienter zu gestalten, Zeit zu sparen und neue Ideen zu entwickeln.

Gleichzeitig wurde auch über die Grenzen von KI gesprochen. Die Ergebnisse von KI-Anwendungen müssen stets kritisch geprüft werden. Erst durch die Verbindung von digitaler Unterstützung mit fachlicher Expertise, praktischer Erfahrung und menschlichem Urteilsvermögen entsteht ein echter Mehrwert.

Ein weiterer Schwerpunkt des Workshops war der verantwortungsvolle Umgang mit Künstlicher Intelligenz. Dabei wurden sowohl Fragen der Datennutzung als auch die Auswirkungen auf Ressourcen und Energieverbrauch thematisiert.

Wir freuen uns, dass Katja Anclam ihr Wissen in dieses praxisnahe Format einbringen konnte, und bedanken uns bei allen Beteiligten für den offenen Austausch und die gelungene Zusammenarbeit.

How can schools strengthen democratic participation — especially among young people who are often excluded from political life?

As part of the EU Horizon G-EPIC project, Professor Bryony Hoskins and Tim Pires Alves present findings from a cross-European study on political self-efficacy, civic engagement, and girls’ empowerment in politics.

The project tested a scalable 5-lesson classroom intervention across five European countries, exploring how inclusive civic education can increase political confidence and democratic participation among disadvantaged students.

The event as part of the Berlin-London city partnership will address:
— democratic resilience and political participation
— girls’ empowerment and civic confidence
— evidence-based civic education
— challenges and opportunities for German schools
— how education can counter exclusionary narratives

🎤 With Professor Bryony Hoskins (University of Roehampton) & Tim Pires Alves (Justus Liebig University Giessen)

At a time of democratic uncertainty, the question is no longer whether civic education matters — but how we make it accessible, inclusive, and effective for all young people.

Join the conversation: https://www.berlin.de/politische-bildung/veranstaltungen/veranstaltungen-der-berliner-landeszentrale/online-anmelden/formular.680951.php?veranstaltung=bildung-und-demokratische-teilhabe_18.06.2026

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