Irish Living Labs and Local Projects for Education for Democracy: Insights from the DEMOCRAT Project

This paper examines the role of Irish Living Labs in promoting Education for Democracy (EfD) through innovative, collaborative workshops designed to enhance democratic competencies in schools and teacher education. Initiated under the DEMOCRAT project, these Living Labs engage educators, youth organizations, and policymakers to develop and implement localised pilot projects. Key themes identified include empowering democratic education, promoting democratic initiatives, and creating inclusive educational environments. Findings from this research reveal both opportunities and challenges in embedding democratic principles within the Irish education system, while highlighting the Living Labs’ potential as effective models for participatory and co-creative educational interventions. This paper discusses the transformative potential of Living Labs to support EfD in Ireland and explores how such methodologies might be scaled to foster democratic resilience in diverse educational contexts.