Teens for Democracy gives young people (aged13-17) a real voice in shaping the policies that affect their future — granting them, for the first time, a genuine “seat at the table.”
This initiative brings together an international network of teenagers, empowered to influence decision-makers and bridge the intergenerational gap in democratic participation.
How it works
The program is implemented through the municipal councils of five cities — each representing a different country and local context:
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Athens
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Tel Aviv
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London (Borough of Hackney)
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Stockholm
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Berlin
Under proper legal safeguards, participating teens express their views on issues that matter to them and propose solutions for the world they will inherit. With support from DCF and its partners, small groups of young people take on active roles: some as local reporters sharing perspectives from their communities and others as ambassadors encouraging wider engagement among their peers.
Together with Sapienship, DCF also creates an interactive edutainment document on democracy — explaining its principles, institutions and processes in a way tailored to Generation Z. Teens review and discuss the material, shaping its content through their own ideas and experiences. Their input will then inform an edutainment book on democracy, to be published under the auspices of UNICEF.
To showcase the results of these pilots, DCF organizes an annual Teens Athens Democracy Forum, giving youth a global stage to present their perspectives alongside the established Athens Democracy Forum (ADF).
The ORBIS Approach
In collaboration with youth organizations, ORBIS will provide the digital tools that make this process possible — safe, participatory and effective. Through a series of replicable and scalable pilot projects, ORBIS will:
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Connect teenagers with policymakers in meaningful deliberation.
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Gather and channel youth opinions directly to decision-makers.
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Promote their initiatives through outreach to politicians, media and civic networks.
These pilots will demonstrate how technology can strengthen democratic culture among young people and ensure their contributions genuinely inform public debate.
Expected Impact
This is the first-ever deliberative process designed specifically for teenagers. It will empower young people to contribute to real decision-making, while helping them understand the principles and institutions that sustain democracy.
Beyond participation, Teens for Democracy also serves as an educational and civic empowerment tool, cultivating a generation of informed, confident and active citizens, ready to help shape a more democratic future.
This pilot is based on a DCF original project. Learn more here.
