Bring children and youth closer to politics. It is for this purpose that the MyPolis project, dedicated to engaging young people in civic participation, has developed several educational games that, since 2018, have helped to bridge the gap between politicians and citizens in Portugal, with a special focus on children and young people. “We start from the idea that politics should not be boring. And we are trying to find ways to make democracy more fun, more accessible and bring young people closer to their representatives,” explains Europa Viva Bernardo Gonçalves, CEO. MyPolis company.
To teach about democracy and the European Union, the company has developed a board game, almost like an adaptation of the classic “Game of Glory”, aimed at primary school children. The goal is to explain how the European Parliament works and what the political representatives of this European institution do in order to identify problems or challenges and create solutions that can then be discussed with members of the European Parliament. MyPolis works primarily with Portuguese schools and municipalities, but wants to bring democratic literacy to the world. The company is currently developing this educational game in six European countries: Italy, Spain, Poland, Hungary and Belgium. “The game has already been implemented with thousands of young people [em Portugal] and has already helped solve more than 200 problems through proposals,” explains Bernardo Gonçalves. Installation of bicycle parking at the Maria Alberta Meneres School in Algheiran Mem Martins, Sintra, as well as the reconstruction of the bus stop next to the school. The Gaspar Campello base in Torres Vedras, designed to protect students from cold, wind and rain, are just some of the projects.