Support for Pilot Project to Strengthen Young People’s Democratic Skills and Critical Thinking

Ungt medborgerskap (“Young Citizenship”) is a school-focused initiative from the newspaper group Amedia, aimed at encouraging young people to participate actively in society and express their opinions. With support from Kavli Trust, the project will establish learning tools, a practice newspaper, and an annual democracy conference.

Ungt medborgerskap is anchored in the cross-disciplinary curriculum subject Democracy and Citizenship and will be implemented over a three-year period in collaboration with upper secondary schools in Agder.

The programme comprises a range of measures designed to counter trends that threaten democracy, such as declining understanding of democratic processes and lower voter turnout among young people compared with other age groups.

Kavli Trust has granted Ungt medborgerskap NOK 3 million. The funding will support the development, implementation, and evaluation of the pilot project.

Young Journalists and Debaters

In addition to providing teaching materials and learning tools to schools, as well as access to Amedia’s more than 100 newspapers, Ungt medborgerskap will establish Skoleavisa, an online newspaper for upper secondary schools covering topics relevant to young people and their daily lives, partly written by the students themselves.

The newspaper will be editorially managed by a full-time staff team, but will also function as a practical training arena where young people can gain experience as journalists and debaters.

Free school lectures delivered by sought-after speakers, along with an annual one-day conference on democracy and freedom of expression, are also among the project’s initiatives.

IInclusive and Democracy-Enhancing

Overall, the aim of the initiative is to strengthen students’ understanding of democracy, their ability to express themselves, and their critical thinking skills.

Once an evaluation of the measures has been completed, the plan is to expand the project to additional counties.

– With its long history and deep roots in Norwegian local communities, Amedia is in a unique position to influence and encourage young people across the country to engage actively in society. Kavli Trust is pleased to contribute, alongside other foundations, to an innovative school pilot project that has the potential to motivate more young people to use their important voice, both in elections and in other areas of society, says Ingrid Paasche, Executive Director of Kavli Trust.

– It will be exciting to follow the project and, above all, to evaluate the impact of the different initiatives. The participation of all upper secondary schools in Agder ensures that young people from a variety of social backgrounds are reached, thereby contributing to greater social equality, says Paasche, referring to the foundation’s ambition to support projects that promote inclusion, life skills, and education among young people.

Facts Ungt Medborgerskap

• A non-profit initiative that develops and provides democracy-enhancing measures aimed at young people.
• Initially a three-year pilot project developed and implemented in collaboration with upper secondary schools in Agder county, with plans for national expansion.
• The initiative is led by the Amedia group. Its aim is to strengthen young people’s understanding of democracy, media literacy, and civic engagement.
• Ungt medborgerskap is funded with support from Kavli Trust, Sparebankstiftelsen Sør, and the Amedia Foundation. Other supporters include Fritt Ord and Sparebanken Norge.
• Kavli Trust’s grant of NOK 3 million will contribute, among other things, to the development of learning tools, the establishment of Skoleavisa, and an annual democracy conference.
• The funding aligns with the foundation’s ambition to support projects that strengthen children’s and young people’s mental health by promoting inclusion, life skills, and education.