Young Citizenship

Young people’s engagement in democracy is declining. Fewer young people access trusted, editor-led news, and many lack opportunities to learn how democratic systems work or how to make their voices heard. Young Citizenship is a preventive initiative designed to strengthen democratic literacy, media awareness and youth participation. With support from the Kavli Trust, young people are given the tools and confidence to engage in civic life.

About the project

Young Citizenship is a three-year pilot programme for upper secondary students, initially implemented in southern Norway. The project responds to well-documented challenges that are also highly relevant in the UK: declining youth voter turnout, increased reliance on social media for news, exposure to misinformation, and growing inequalities in who participates in public debate.

Research shows that young people increasingly consume news through algorithm-driven platforms, often without editorial oversight, context or accountability. At the same time, young voters are less likely to participate in elections and civic processes, particularly those from less advantaged backgrounds.

The purpose of the project is to strengthen young people’s understanding of democracy, the role of independent media, and their own rights and responsibilities as citizens.
The intended societal impact is a generation of young people who are better informed, more critically aware, and more confident in participating in democratic processes and public dialogue.

What the funding from the kavli Trust will support

The grant from the Kavli Trust will support:

• access to trusted, editor-led digital news for students
• the development of curriculum-linked learning resources on democracy and media literacy
• a youth-focused editorial platform where students can publish and debate
• direct dialogue between young people and professional journalists
• annual civic engagement conferences for students
• independent evaluation and learning to inform future scale-up

About Young Citizenship

Young Citizenship is an independent, non-profit initiative established by Amedia, Norway’s largest publisher of editor-led news media. The project builds on Amedia’s democratic mission: to strengthen informed public debate and support democratic participation through high-quality journalism and education.