There is a persistent assumption that young people are disengaged from politics. The data tells a different story. Youth voter turnout in the 2024 European Parliament elections hit a record high. Climate marches, largely organised by people under 25, forced policy shifts in countries from Germany to Colombia. What has changed is not the level of engagement but the form it takes. Formal party membership is declining; informal, issue-driven participation is rising.
Civic education sits at the centre of this shift. The traditional model — a textbook chapter on how a bill becomes a law — was designed for a world where political participation meant voting every few years and perhaps writing to a representative. That model is inadequate for citizens who encounter political content constantly through social media, who can mobilise thousands of people through a group chat, and who expect institutions to be as responsive as the apps on their phones.
The most interesting experiments are happening at the intersection of technology and pedagogy. Parliamentary simulators that let students draft and debate legislation. E-participation platforms where citizens contribute directly to municipal budgets. Digital literacy programmes that teach young people not just how to spot misinformation but how algorithmic curation shapes the political information they see. Our coverage examines these initiatives — what works, what scales, and what remains wishful thinking.
