I-CIVIC addresses some of today’s most pressing social and democratic challenges, including the rise of authoritarianism, declining civic engagement – particularly among young people – growing democratic deficits, vulnerability to misinformation, limited critical digital literacy, and persistent socio-economic and inclusivity gaps. 

It responds to the disconnect between schools and their surrounding communities, where educational institutions often operate in isolation from museums, NGOs, cultural organisations, and local governments, limiting opportunities for meaningful, community-based democratic learning. 

To tackle these issues, the project develops innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to democratic education that strengthen critical thinking and equip learners to navigate the digital landscape responsibly. By connecting formal education with real-life community contexts and local governance, it seeks to make democracy part of everyday experience. Through strong international exchanges, researchers and practitioners collaborate across countries to compare contexts, test ideas, and co-create new, practical models of democratic learning.