Law in Everyday Life

Summary

The "Law in Everyday Life" project empowers students and teachers with essential legal literacy through engaging, real-life learning. By combining a competence-based framework, multilingual resources, and innovative teaching methods, it strengthens civic education, promotes democratic participation, and fosters a culture of legality and the rule of law across Europe.

“The project met the academic objectives and instilled a sense of responsibility and advocacy for children's rights among the students."  - Teacher, Portugal

Topic(s) addressed

• Basic legal literacy
• Civic competence
• Critical thinking
• Democratic engagement
• Teachers’ professional development
• Multilingual resources
• Competence-based and action-oriented education
• Real-life legal contexts for youth

Target group(s)  

• More than 200 teachers
• Students aged 14 to 18
• Legal experts
• Education professionals
• EU educators

Methodologies used

The project adopts a competence-based and action-oriented approach to teaching legal literacy, combining formal and non-formal learning. It introduces an age-specific Legal Literacy Competence Framework and develops easy-to-use, multilingual resources, including a textbook, manual, and MOOC, tailored to both students and teachers. Innovative methods include interactive activities, real-life scenarios, and interdisciplinary links, fostering critical thinking and civic engagement. Teacher training and piloting in schools ensured practical application. The project bridges complex legal content with accessible pedagogy, enabling students to understand and apply legal knowledge in everyday life.

Innovation environment

The project fosters inclusive, flexible, and multilingual learning environments that support innovative teaching by integrating textbooks, manuals, and a MOOC that are adaptable to different classroom contexts. It encourages real-world application through case studies and interactive activities. Teachers are equipped with a professional development framework, enabling them to confidently implement legal literacy education. Piloting in diverse schools ensured adaptability and relevance. The environments foster collaboration between educators, legal experts, and students, bridging formal and non-formal education while promoting civic engagement and democratic participation.

Teachers’ role

Teachers and educators played a central role in shaping and implementing innovative teaching approaches. They co-developed and piloted learning materials, provided feedback on the Legal Literacy Competence Framework, and tested resources in real classroom settings. Their insights ensured that the content was relevant, age-appropriate, and pedagogically effective. By actively integrating legal literacy into various subjects and tailoring methods to student needs, teachers modelled innovation, critical thinking, and civic responsibility in the classroom.

Impact and output

The project’s innovative teaching and learning processes enhanced students’ civic awareness, legal understanding, and critical thinking, empowering them to engage actively in democratic society. Teachers reported increased confidence in addressing legal topics and integrated the new methods into their practice. More than 200 educators across Europe explored or applied the resources. The materials’ adaptability and accessibility - being multilingual and available in digital formats - support long-term use and scalability. The project also influenced curriculum discussions and contributed to strengthening civic competences through practical, real-life learning.

Learn more about the project

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