This proposal aims to discuss how schools can promote the development of personal and social competencies and social capital in young people for political and civic participation. Also, it aims to demonstrate how schools can become platforms for civic participation by young people in their contexts. In order to achieve those purposes, we will use data from a study carried out in 29 secondary schools located in border regions of Mainland Portugal, considered mostly rural and low-density (Silva, 2014). These regions have social and economic disadvantages and less opportunities of participation (Silva et al., 2023). In these regions, school appear as an essential element for liveliness and dynamism and is central to the lives of young people. Authors such as Amiguinho (2005) and  Canário (2000) emphasize the role of schools in guaranteeing this vitality in rural areas. Schools can, therefore, be seen as an essential space for promoting cultures of citizenship and youth participation (Silva et al., 2023), both because of its centrality and the importance it is recognized as a mechanism for valuing and including peripheral and rural environments (Amiguinho, 2005).

As youth participation is becoming a priority at international and national level (EU, 2018; Council of Ministers Resolution number. (2022) - National Youth Plan II), schools are assuming a fundamental role in preparing young people for civic and political participation, particularly through citizenship education. Several authors have recognised this aspect (Biesta, 2011; Osler & Starkey, 2005; Perrenoud, 2002) and at policy level (Council of Europe, 2018; Portugal, 2017; UNESCO, 2015), especially with a focus on issues of democratic citizenship and the development of competences for democratic citizenship based not only on the valorisation of traditional democratic institutions and participation, but also on the development of a transformative citizenship focused on social and community well-being and social justice (Addler & Goggin, 2006; Banks, 2017; Whesteimer & Khane, 2004). In this vein, the valorisation of experience (Dewey, 1916; Lawy & Biesta, 2006) and the development of active and community-based methodologies focusing on young people's contexts have been referred to as fundamental to promoting the skills necessary for young people's civic participation in community-life for community’s well-being (Gruenewald, 2003).

This proposal is a component of an ongoing PhD research project (Ref: SFRH/BD/143733/2019) focusing on the study of citizenship education practices in secondary schools located in border regions of mainland Portugal. The aim is to explore how these schools address dimensions such as youth involvement, aspirations, and local cultural aspects within their citizenship education initiatives. This project is part of the broader GROW:UP – Grow Up in Border Regions in Portugal: Young People, Educational Pathways, and Agendas project (PTDC/CED-EDG/29943/2017), which investigates how young individuals shape their biographical and educational paths, examining responses from various contexts to meet their aspirations.

This proposal is grounded in empirical data derived from the collection and analysis of school guiding documents, semi-structured interviews with teachers coordinating Citizenship Education in their schools, and a questionnaire survey completed by young students. Three types of structural documents - Educational Projects, Annual Activity Plans, and Schools’ Strategy for Citizenship Education – were analysed to comprehend the educational practices developed by each school regarding citizenship education. A total of 26 Educational Projects, 21 Annual Activity Plans, and 18 Schools' Citizenship Education Strategies were analysed focusing on the following dimensions: formal aspects around citizenship education; initiatives/projects/areas valued by the school in Citizenship Education (CE); networking strategies around citizenship education; valorisation of local aspects; and youth involvement in the decision-making process. Since the implementation of the National Citizenship Education Strategy in 2018, through Decree-Law 55/2018, only documents developed by schools from that date were considered. Additionally, 24 interviews (out of the potential 29 contexts) were conducted. These interviews were carried out online, covering dimensions such as: a) Perceptions and priorities around citizenship education; b) Citizenship Education and networking with the wider educational community; c) Valorisation of local culture in the development of initiatives in citizenship education; d) Youth involvement in the decision-making process, including projects to develop and themes to work on. The primary goal of the interviews was to understand how schools embraced the National Strategy on Citizenship Education (PORTUGAL, 2017) and the resulting school practices. Finally, a questionnaire was distributed to young people in secondary schools of Border Regions (n=344), including dimensions such as: Strategies around citizenship education at the school level and at the class level; levels of youth involvement in the decision-making process; positive and less-positive aspects identified by young people regarding schools’ work around citizenship education. Concerning data analysis, content analysis procedures (Bardin, 2011) were performed for qualitative data (guiding documents analysis, semi-structured interviews, open-ended questions from the questionnaire), resulting in 5 dimensions of analysis contributing to understanding aspects that unify and differentiate various contexts regarding the appropriation of this educational policy: a) perceptions and priorities of the school regarding citizenship education; b) initiatives, activities and projects around citizenship education; c) network engagement with the surrounding community to develop CE; d) integration of local specificities and local cultural heritage in citizenship education; e) openness and inclusion of young people in decision-making processes regarding CE. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics (Field, 2013)

Results indicate that practices concerning citizenship education, aimed at promoting civic participation, are developed both at the overall school level and within individual classes. At the general school level, citizenship education strategies that focus on fostering young people's civic participation can be observed in projects initiated by schools (such as volunteer clubs and civic centres) or adopted by them (national projects or projects co-constructed with local and regional stakeholders). Particularly noteworthy are volunteering projects designed to enhance community well-being and address social issues within their specific contexts. Additionally, intra-school initiatives, such as awareness-raising actions or improvements to school conditions for the entire school population, play a significant role. Similarly, at the class level, strategies such as the use of project methodologies appear to promote the development of youth projects for the advancement of their communities and the promotion of well-being and social justice (Adler & Goggin, 2005). In these initiatives, young people not only serve as constructors of projects but also emerge as active agents within their communities. In summary, the results suggest a focus on localized citizenship education initiatives for the benefit of young people's communities. This indicates that these schools, situated in contexts with fewer cultural and participation opportunities, are not only pivotal in the development of young people's participation and citizenship skills through experiential and community-based approaches but also serve as platforms for exercising this participation (Menezes & Ferreira, 2014; Silva et al., 2023).

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