Civics in Schools: Empowering Young People – Creating Change

Civics in Schools aims to test the ability of civics education to improve youth participation in law-making and support an engaged, informed society.

About the project

Civics in Schools is a pilot programme being developed by YouthLaw Aotearoa. Over 40-years, YouthLaw Aotearoa has seen the impact of laws that are not designed to respond to the unique needs of children and young people. Part of the problem is the system is designed by adults, and young people are disenfranchised from design and policy processes.

The pilot will explore the ability of civics education to:

Empower young people to navigate the legal challenges they will face as they transition to adulthood
Engage children and young people in civil society and enhance their sense of citizenship
Elevate the voices of children and young people within the development of laws
Strengthen and protect our democracy for the future

The project will develop a programme and set of teaching modules for use by social science teachers. The programme will be aligned to the New Zealand Curriculum, and will include a multi-media component that YouthLaw will deliver on-site to schools. The entire programme will be co-designed with young people, education professional, and stakeholders from the legal and justice system.

Grant amount

$246,261 for work in 2024-2025

About YouthLaw Aotearoa

YouthLaw Aotearoa is a Community Law Centre providing free legal services to people under 25 across Aotearoa. We are lawyers, educators, advocates and young people working towards a shared vision of a “fair and just Aotearoa where children and young people’s rights are respected, and their voices heard” by providing legal advice, education sessions, law reform initiatives and community engagement projects.