Tools for Fostering and Assessing Competences in Responsible Democratic Citizenship: Insights from 6 EU Living Lab Pilots

To strengthen democracies and foster active civic engagement, the EU Horizon project DEMOCRAT has developed a Responsible Democratic Citizenship (RDC) framework comprising four core competencies: Solidary Participation, Deliberation, Judgement and Critical Thinking, and Democratic Resilience. This framework is being implemented across 6 EU countries through Living Lab Pilot initiatives in diverse educational and societal contexts, bringing together educators, students, policymakers, and community stakeholders to explore the transformative potential of the RDC framework in real-life settings. Central to this exploration is the RDC assessment tool specifically designed to evaluate the development of RDC competences, alongside the pedagogical approaches that promote them in schools and teacher training. This study presents a comprehensive evaluation of the assessment framework employed in pilot initiatives aimed at fostering democratic resilience and strengthening democratic competences. Situated in theories of education for democracy and democratic citizenship, the paper contextualises these findings within broader socio-political dynamics. It argues that the RDC framework, along with its innovative assessment instruments, demonstrates substantial potential to fortify democratic values, promote civic engagement, and counteract contemporary challenges such as political polarization and civic disengagement. The paper emphasises the need for scalable strategies to cultivate democratic capacities in increasingly complex and contested environments.