Chapter 1 – Developing a Civic Engagement Path Throughout Training
To encourage the learner’s engagement, it is necessary to put in place concrete actions which encourage learners to take their place, to get involved and to participate actively in the life of the establishment. These initiatives are part of a citizenship journey, which goes beyond learning professional skills. This journey is aimed at future citizens, encouraging them to become aware of their rights, duties and responsibilities within society.
By getting involved in their establishment, learners develop a sense of belonging and an understanding of the social issues around them. This allows them to get involved in the life of the school or institution, and also to prepare for a broader civic engagement.
The ambition is therefore to promote a real culture of engagement among learners by relying on concrete actions.
1. Promote the Representativeness of Learners
The learner’s citizenship journey must be included in their overall training period. This journey should not be considered as a simple addition to their professional training, but rather as a societal issue. By integrating citizenship dimensions into your curriculum, you offer learners the opportunity to develop essential skills, both on a personal and professional level.
The citizenship pathway must therefore be deployed throughout the learner’s training. This implies long-term thinking, where each action is part of an ongoing dynamic. It is important to implement a variety of actions that will allow the theme of citizenship to be approached from different angles. This multidimensional approach promotes a better understanding of social and political issues, while having a significant impact on the learner’s motivation and engagement.
Action 1: Election of learner delegates/representatives
The election of delegates is one of the first actions to be implemented as part of a citizenship pathway. Delegates will play an essential role in representing the learners of their respective sections to the educational team and the various staff of the establishment. It is not simply a question of electing representatives to complete a formality. These elections must be designed as a real participatory process that allows learners to actively engage in the life of the establishment. It is also a first experience of democracy.
2. Cultivate a culture of engagement within the establishment
By offering awareness-raising sessions on major societal issues, learners can be given a voice. This questions and challenges them on societal issues. It is therefore important to integrate awareness-raising actions that can take several forms in the implementation of the citizenship pathway.
Action 1: Organisation of sessions and awareness-raising in class on social issues
It is important to identify themes related to society and to offer awareness-raising sessions in small or large groups. The implementation of a citizenship pathway will allow a learner who follows his entire training to be made aware of several themes.
| Example of implementation of a citizenship pathway: 1st year of training: awareness and election of delegates / awareness of selected theme 2nd year of training: awareness of a selected theme + an intervention on the selected theme During the graduation year: promote learner engagement through award presentations, engagement certificates, feedback through digital tools, open badges, etc. |
Action 2: Promote learner engagement within the establishment
In order to encourage learner engagement, it is necessary to set up or support the creation of learning bodies: learner associations, learner committees, learner working groups, but also to include learners in various projects within the institution.
These different approaches promote autonomy, collaboration and a sense of belonging. One of the keys to promote learner engagement is to actively include them in the school’s projects. This goes beyond the pedagogical framework and directly integrates learners into school life. This makes it possible to promote collaborative projects between learners and teaching teams, to allow reflection on the establishment’s practices and to participate in the management of daily life. Promoting engagement is also a key step that helps to anchor the culture of engagement within the establishment. Connecting engaged learners with their peers helps to create emulation and encourages engagement.