Excursions and guest lectures throughout the country

ProDemos offers excursions to town halls, provincial halls, and law courts, often paired with role-playing games. These activities allow pupils to experience firsthand the processes involved in reaching a political decision, persuading others of their point of view, and securing a majority for their ideas.

See some examples below.

Democracity

In this game, pupils aged 11-12 collaborate to build a fictional town. They must make decisions such as allocating space for companies versus parks and sports facilities, or choosing between a large hospital or a secondary school. With limited space and funds, they engage in debates and voting. The game is set in the town hall, where they utilize microphones typically used by real council members.

English-speaking primary school students can now participate in this game in English. Please note that this offer is exclusively for English-speaking students and does not apply to students in bilingual education. Please mention when registering that the group is English-speaking.

For more information and to book Democracity, please email planning@prodemos.nl.

Klassenbezoek@gemeentehuis

This programme (which translates as (‘class visit to town hall’) introduces young people aged 12-18 to how municipal policy is developed. It is ideal for familiarizing them with municipal politics. We have also developed a version tailored to primary school pupils. Please note: This project is only available to Dutch-speaking students.

Visit to a law court (and guest lecture)

Attending a court session is an impressive experience for pupils. We encourage teachers to combine the visit with a guest lecture on the way criminal law works. Pupils gain insight into the roles of the various participants of a court session, such as the judge, attorney, lawyer, witness. Afterwards they reenact a court session based on a real case.

Please note: this project is only accessible to Dutch speaking students