Schools still have until September 18 to join a culture and civic participation project
Schools have until September 18 to apply for an ESF+ project that uses cultural events to boost students' civic participation. The Latvian National Centre for Culture will run the project until 2029.
The Latvian National Centre for Culture is inviting schools to apply by September 18 for the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) project “Cultural events as a tool for promoting civic participation.” Through cultural activities, students will learn to identify problems within their school or local community and search for possible solutions.
How to apply
To take part, a school must form a team of seven people, including students, teachers, and representatives of the school's support staff and administration. Together with other school or community members, the team must agree on a specific issue affecting school or community life and submit an application. An online conversation with the project team will follow submission.
Applications are due by September 18, online conversations will take place until September 25, and schools will be notified of the participation decision on October 5. The project aims to involve at least 20 schools from 20 different municipalities, at least 200 teachers, and 5,000 students.
Benefits for schools
Teachers at participating schools will be able to join professional development training, receive methodological support, and learn how to use cultural events to encourage students' civic engagement. Over two years, schools will have the chance to collaborate with education and culture professionals, build stronger ties with their local communities, and share experience with other participating schools.
The project's goal is to develop students' cultural awareness and expression skills by using cultural events to foster active civic participation and democratic thinking.
The project is implemented by the Latvian National Centre for Culture and will run from July 1, 2025, to December 31, 2029. Total eligible costs amount to 1,918,966 euros, including 1,631,121 euros in ESF+ funding and 287,845 euros in national budget co-financing.
