Preparing Young People for Democracy
Free, engaging and interactive democracy education for secondary-age young people across Northern Ireland.
NI Youth Forum is offering 25 funded sessions to secondary schools, youth organisations and alternative education settings across Northern Ireland.
Through youth-friendly, interactive delivery, Preparing Young People for Democracy aims to build young people’s confidence, knowledge and understanding of democracy, how it affects their lives, and the different ways they can participate and have their voices heard.
Supported by the Electoral Commission
All session content is quality assured to ensure it is high-quality and politically impartial.
25 fully funded sessions available | Northern Ireland-wide
What will young people explore?
Our sessions help young people explore democracy in a way that is accessible, relevant and connected to their lives.
Depending on the format and needs of the group, young people will have opportunities to:
- develop their understanding of democracy and why it matters
- explore how decisions are made and how they affect young people
- discover different ways young people can get involved and have their voices heard
- build their confidence to participate in democratic life
- develop their understanding of elections and voting in Northern Ireland
- understand registering to vote and what happens when you vote
- ask questions, share their views and discuss democracy in a safe and politically impartial environment
Our focus is not simply on giving young people information. We want them to leave feeling more informed, more confident and better equipped to participate.
For Secondary Schools
Designed to work around your school
We know that every school – and every timetable – is different.
That’s why we have developed a range of delivery options, allowing schools to choose what works best for their pupils and available time.
30-minute Assembly
A fast-paced and engaging introduction to democracy, participation and voting, including next steps to help students continue their learning.
Designed for schools where time is limited while still giving young people an interactive and meaningful experience.
60-minute Assembly — Recommended
Our recommended assembly format gives young people more time to participate, discuss and explore the issues.
The additional time allows us to explore democracy in more depth and create more opportunities for young people to think about their own role within it.
Bespoke Classroom Workshop
For smaller, classroom-sized groups, we can provide a more in-depth and highly interactive workshop.
This format creates greater space for discussion, activities, questions and exploration of the issues that matter to the young people taking part.
Not sure which option is right for your school?
That’s absolutely fine.
Schools can request the format they feel would work best, or speak with our team about their pupils, timetable and objectives. We’ll be happy to help determine the most suitable approach.
For Youth Organisations & Alternative Education Settings
Bespoke interactive workshops
Our democracy education offer is also available to youth organisations and alternative education settings working with secondary-age young people.
Rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach, we can work with you to develop a bespoke interactive session suited to your group.
We recognise that young people engage and learn in different ways. Sessions can therefore be shaped around the size, needs and interests of the group, while maintaining the core aims of building confidence, knowledge and understanding of democracy and participation.
Engaging. Youth-friendly. Interactive.
Whatever format you choose, these principles are at the heart of every session we deliver.
This isn’t a lecture about politics.
Our facilitators use activities, quizzes, competitions, discussions and practical examples, as well as opportunities for young people to express their own views.
We want young people to be active participants in the session – not simply an audience.
NI Youth Forum has extensive experience of supporting young people to have their voices heard on issues that affect their lives, and our approach to democracy education reflects that youth-led ethos.
Young people can participate in democracy in many different ways – from voting and registering to vote to engaging in consultations, campaigns, youth advocacy and contacting representatives.
Supported by the Electoral Commission
We understand that teachers and youth practitioners need to have confidence in the political education being delivered to young people.
Preparing Young People for Democracy is supported by The Electoral Commission, with session content quality assured to ensure it is high-quality and politically impartial.
The Electoral Commission works to support young people to learn about democracy, voting and elections.
This means educators can be confident that sessions are focused on impartial education so that young people are supported to make their own informed decisions and can cast thier first votes with confidence.
What Schools Say
Previous teacher evaluations also rated the sessions very highly for their overall quality, suitability for pupils, delivery and facilitation, as well as their contribution to young people’s understanding of democracy, elections and voting.
25 Fully Funded Sessions Available
There is no cost to participating schools or organisations.
As funded places are limited, we encourage interested schools and organisations to submit a booking request.
Part of our Improving Democratic Education Project
Preparing Young People for Democracy forms part of NI Youth Forum’s wider Improving Democratic Education Project.
Through this work, we want to help ensure young people have the knowledge, understanding, confidence and opportunities they need to engage with democracy and have their voices heard.
Interested in a session?
Whether you already know which format you would like or want to talk through the options with us, we’d love to hear from you.
Complete our short booking request form and a member of the NI Youth Forum team will get in touch to discuss your setting, preferred format and availability.
Want to get more involved?
Alongside booking a Preparing Young People for Democracy session, schools and youth organisations can also get involved in shaping the future of democratic education.
The Electoral Commission is inviting organisations in England and Northern Ireland to take part in a pilot of its new framework for high-quality democratic education, running from September 2026 to January 2027.
The pilot will give schools and youth settings an opportunity to test the framework in practice, provide feedback and help shape how it develops nationally.
Organisations taking part will also be entered into a prize draw to win £500 towards school or youth group resources.