On 2–3 June, a study visit took place in Norway, organised by the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Latvia in cooperation with the European Wergeland Centre. Our office was represented by Advisor Ieva Hermansone.
The visit is part of the upcoming Signal Elections in Latvia this autumn and the project Civic Resilience through School and Teacher Education 2026–2028. Its main aim was to promote the exchange of experience between Latvia and Norway on approaches to civic education, with particular focus on new teaching methods and strengthening young people’s civic participation.
The meetings were organised along two parallel tracks. The youth track focused on elections and promoting participation, while the teacher track centred on the opportunity to learn about Norwegian experience and educational content.
The team visited the European Wergeland Centre, the Norwegian Parliament (Storting), the National Council for children and youth organisation, the youth division of the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS Unge), as well as the Deichmann Library in Oslo, thereby broadening their understanding of the promotion of democratic values and the role of education in society.
The key takeaways from the visit are related to teachers’ work in addressing sensitive and controversial issues in the classroom, while fostering open dialogue and strengthening students’ critical thinking skills. During the visit, participants highlighted the importance of cooperation between schools, municipalities and youth organisations, which in the Norwegian experience forms a strong foundation for young people’s civic participation and helps build trust in democratic processes.
The study visit was attended by Advisor Ieva Hermansone from the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Latvia, Secretary General Liene Valdmane and representative Laura Elizabete Ķiršakmene from the non-governmental organisation European Movement Latvia, social sciences teacher Vineta Kantāne from Riga Teika Secondary School, as well as senior expert and methodology specialist in social sciences Laura Joma from the State Education Development Agency. Youth organisation “Club “The House”” was represented by President Daniēls Zeltiņš and member Kārlis Zikmanis,
