The Manitoba School Improvement Program (MSIP) encourages Manitoba high schools to include students in their improvement projects. Through an array of action-oriented, student-centered initiatives, MSIP has come to a new understanding of "student voice" that encompasses various levels of students' engagement in both school improvement…

The United Nations' Child Friendly Cities movement is committed to implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child. School boards can participate by augmenting a safe physical environment with a policy environment that treats children with respect; encouraging meaningful participation in school governance; recognizing and addressing the…

Students in a Winnipeg (Manitoba) alternative high school participated in a project designed to increase student voice in their own learning and in school direction. Studying emotional intelligence, helping plan a provincial student conference, and conducting research on student priorities developed real-world skills, increased appreciation of…

Too often citizenship education in schools is sterile and removed from real issues--it is designed to teach about democracy, not practice it. Classroom practices are less important than school culture and classroom climate. Students need to see and experience democracy in their schools; teacher education programs, educational systems, and high…

A close relationship exists between German society, the political system, and public schools. Following reunification, the school systems in former East Germany have undergone dramatic changes to accommodate the philosophy of democracy. The state of Saxony's changes include parent and student participation in school governance, emphasis on…