Do All Thoughts Soar High!? Or: Who Actually Owns Freedom?
| Keywords | Education |
| Target Group | Children (6-12) |
| Used Methods | Workshops |
| Categories | Educating |
| Level of Participation | Local Level |
| Approach | Low-Threshold |
| Format of the Method | Analog (Face To Face) |
| Location or Venue | Ulm, Kontiki |
Duration
| From | Until |
| 01/05/2026 | 30/06/2026 |
Short Description
A project for children aged 10–11 that promotes democratic values through three activities: a Human Library Meeting, a Gardening Workshop and a Cultural Center Visit. The activities strengthen communication, solidarity, dialogue, diversity and tolerance.
Step-by-step explanation
Step 1
Photos of the entire educational process at kontiki
Step 2
Children’s statements
Step 3
Election materials”
Step 4
Photos from the opening at the daycare center
- Communication and Participation
As mentioned, the children are invited to participate in these processes as part of the program described.
- Dialogue, Culture of Debate, and Changing Perspectives
While this will certainly be new for some children, for others it will serve to deepen their initial experiences with participation.
- Anti-Discrimination, Diversity, and Tolerance
By encouraging the children to create their own “little bird of freedom” rather than following a template, we anticipate a wide variety of results, all of which will have their own validity and can be appreciated by the children as they discuss them with one another.
- Community spirit, solidarity, and cohesion
This entire activity serves these attitudes first and foremost, because while democracy can be imposed, it does not work well for long. It must grow out of the spirit of a group and take shape within it; only then can it survive.
Results
It is beneficial for the children to come into contact with the foundations of democracy in this way. They take pride in their opinions and seek dialogue with others. They enjoy the tactile experience and motor skills involved in creating unique clay pieces and playing games. Later, they take pride in their Freedom Birds, each flying in its own unique way. They display the works in their daycare center and receive praise, and they revisit the topic with their parents and others.
Goals
Children who cannot yet read or write, or who have not yet attended school, should be empowered to engage in verbal discourse about their own views and those of others.
What is needed
Ballot papers, a ballot box, clay, engobes/paints, sticks for the clay birds, picture books for inspiration, and access to a kiln for firing the sculptures. Adult facilitators are also needed to guide the voting and creative workshops.