About the event
On July 31st, 2024, CRPE organized a final online event that aimed to provide a platform for discussion on youth engagement in future European Union elections. The event served as a concluding milestone for their broader efforts in the Eulection Play project and reflected on both the outcomes of the June 2024 European Parliament elections and strategies for enhancing youth participation in future electoral processes.
The event is part of the EulectionPlay project: Gamifying Youth Public Participation: From Local Governance to European Union Elections.
Purpose and objectives
The main goals of the event were twofold:
- Debating and brainstorming solutions for increasing youth engagement in the European Union elections. This was particularly important given the relatively low voter turnout among younger populations in many EU countries.
- Extracting lessons learned from the 2024 European Elections, analyzing the effectiveness of past initiatives, and identifying gaps that need to be addressed in the next electoral cycle.
Attendees and structure
The event brought together a group of 22 participants, consisting of both students and teachers who had actively been involved in the various stages of the Eulection Play project. Their experiences and perspectives were crucial in creating a comprehensive dialogue around youth engagement, given their direct involvement in organizing local events, educational sessions, and community engagement initiatives.
- Diverse participants: The mix of students and educators ensured that the discussions addressed both the perspective of young people—the target demographic for voter turnout efforts—and those of the teachers who played a key role in shaping the educational strategies used to foster civic awareness.
- Duration: The event lasted for approximately three hours, providing ample time for in-depth discussions on various themes, including best practices, challenges, and forward-looking recommendations.
Key themes discussed
- Youth Engagement Strategies: A significant portion of the event focused on how to better engage young people in future European elections. Attendees discussed the need for:
- Digital platforms: Leveraging social media and digital campaigns to meet youth where they are most active online. Participants suggested more interactive online tools and educational campaigns aimed at explaining the importance of the EU and its elections in simple and engaging ways.
- Civic education in schools: Expanding civic education in formal school curriculums, not just during election periods but as a continuous effort throughout the academic year. Teachers shared their insights on how initiatives like the Electionville game helped students grasp the complexities of governance in a fun and interactive way.
- Peer-led initiatives: Several students emphasized the importance of having young ambassadors or peer leaders who could act as role models and communicate the relevance of elections in a relatable manner. They highlighted that youths are more likely to engage when they see their peers taking the lead.
- Lessons from the 2024 EU Elections:
- Voter apathy and lack of Awareness: Participants noted that one of the key challenges in the June 2024 elections was a pervasive sense of apathy and lack of awareness about what the European Parliament does. Students and teachers discussed how this could be addressed by making EU institutions and their work more visible and relevant in everyday life, especially to young voters.
- Effective campaigns: Some teachers shared insights into successful tactics used to mobilize young voters during the last elections, such as gamified learning, debates, and student-led initiatives. However, they also pointed out that more could be done to connect youth directly with policymakers and provide them with platforms to express their views.
- Barriers to participation:
- Misinformation and disinterest: Discussions revealed that many young people still do not vote because they feel disconnected from political processes or overwhelmed by misinformation. Participants brainstormed ways to address this, including enhancing media literacy in schools to equip students with the skills to critically evaluate political information.
- Logistical issues: Some participants mentioned that logistical barriers—such as not knowing where or how to vote—also contribute to low turnout. Teachers and students agreed that clearer communication and simplified voting processes could help mitigate these issues.
- Recommendations for the future:
- Youth-centered political dialogues: The group highlighted the importance of political dialogues designed specifically for youth, where policymakers engage directly with younger voters, addressing their concerns in relatable terms. Events like these could be organized both locally and online to allow for broader participation.
- Union a more tangible concept in young people’s everyday lives.
- Continued use of interactive tools: The success of Electionville and other interactive tools was emphasized, with many participants agreeing that continued use of games, simulations, and other interactive formats can be a powerful way to engage young people with political processes.
Showcasing project results
An important aspect of the event was the showcasing of the project’s results. Over the course of the project, significant strides had been made in engaging young people through innovative educational tools and events:
- Electionville Game: The Electionville game, which had been widely distributed across schools, was showcased as a particularly successful tool. Students and teachers shared their experiences of using the game in the classroom and how it had helped demystify the electoral process for many young people. The game’s impact on building political awareness and critical thinking skills among students was widely acknowledged.
- Local community events: The event also reviewed the success of the five community events organized by the young ambassadors in their local communities. These events had not only raised awareness about the EU elections but had also inspired more direct participation from students, teachers, and local residents.
Final outcomes and acknowledgments
The event concluded with a collective agreement on the importance of sustained efforts to engage youth in EU elections, well beyond 2024. Attendees acknowledged that while the project had made substantial progress in raising awareness and involving young people, there was still much work to be done to ensure a more consistent and widespread voter turnout in the future.
CRPE was commended for its leadership in organizing the event and the overall success of the Eulection Play project. The contributions of both students and teachers were recognized, and all participants were encouraged to continue advocating for youth participation in their respective schools and communities.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
