The Regional Baltic Summer Academy is a training programme that aims to build the capacity of schools in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to foster an inclusive and democratic culture by training teachers, school leaders, community members and student representatives in citizenship and human rights education. It also offers support for school development projects.
Organised yearly since 2015, the Academy is a great opportunity to learn practical tools and strategies on how to create a more open, inclusive and democratic school environment for all children through a whole-school approach. The programme allows school teams to analyse school needs and priorities and prepare a concrete action plan to meet the challenges their school is dealing with.
By bringing together participants and institutions from 3 Baltic countries the Academy also strengthens regional cooperation and dialogue.
The Academy takes place in a different Baltic State each year. In 2019, the Academy is organised in Lithuania by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Education Development Centre and the European Wergeland Centre.
The training course focuses on developing competences of young people needed for active life in modern societies, such as cooperation skills, critical thinking skills, ability to make independent decisions, flexibility and adaptability.
Democratic Competences by Council of Europe:
Values-Attitudes-Skills-Knowledge & Critical Understanding
Such competences can best be developed in an environment where all students practice democracy - debate, take part in decision-making and influence school policies.
An inclusive and democratic learning environment is based on ethical principles, such as respect for all, human dignity and equality. In inclusive environment everyone feels valued.
The Academy, therefore, aims to help teachers and schools develop strategies for addressing all these topics, plan and implement actions for making the school culture, governance and classroom practices safer and more inclusive for all on the basis of key principles of ethical conduct.