Education for Democracy Foundation

The Education for Democracy Foundation, known in Polish as Fundacja Edukacja dla Demokracji, is a Polish non-governmental foundation established in 1989 during the country’s transition from communist rule to a democratic political system. Its work focuses on the relationship between education and civic life: it supports schools in developing participatory practices, encourages civic responsibility and activism, and promotes international solidarity and cooperation. The foundation was created on the initiative of Polish and American educators, including representatives associated with the American Federation of Teachers in Poland. Its founding group included Polish public figures and education advocates such as Andrzej Janowski, Wiktor Kulerski, Janusz Onyszkiewicz, Edward Wieczorek, Jacek Woźniakowski, and Jan Piotr Lasota-Hirszowicz, together with American educators and public intellectuals including Sandra Feldman, Herbert Magidson, Diana Ravitch, and Albert Shanker. This Polish-American origin shaped the organization’s long-term emphasis on exchanging educational experience and supporting democratic development beyond Poland. The foundation’s activities are organized around three broad themes: the socialization and democratization of schools; civic duty and activism; and global solidarity. In Poland, it works on student councils, school participation, civic education, minority engagement, and support for Polish-language supplementary schools abroad. Through international programs, it has shared Polish experience with civil-society and education initiatives in countries including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, and Uzbekistan. Its regranting and partnership activities also connect Polish organizations with wider global and development-education networks. Among its established programs are Region in Transition, commonly known as RITA, which supports democratic and free-market transformation in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia; Global Education, including grant competitions for Polish non-governmental organizations; Szkoła.pl, which supports Polish supplementary schools outside Poland; and Civic Education Abroad. The foundation has also worked to strengthen student councils in selected Polish voivodeships, support civic participation among national minorities, and promote local cultural engagement through projects such as the Michael Willmann Trail of the Sacred Baroque Art in Silesia. Civicportal.org has served as an online platform for international cooperation and civil-society development in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The organization is a founding member of the Grupa Zagranica alliance and the Education for Democracy International Network, also known as EDIT.net. It has cooperated with institutions including the Polish-American Freedom Foundation and the Moscow School of Civic Education. The foundation has received recognition for its contribution to democracy and civil society, including the Pro Publico Bono Institution title in 2004, recognition as a Central and Eastern European non-governmental organization of the year in 2009, and a Polish Humanitarian Organisation medal in 2010. It remains a public-benefit organization whose role is primarily educational, civic, grant-making, and partnership-oriented rather than commercial.

The Education for Democracy Foundation was created in 1989 by Polish and American teachers and civic-minded education leaders. Its founding coincided with Poland's transition toward democratic government, and the organization was designed to help make education an instrument of democratic participation rather than only a formal school function. The founding group included Andrzej Janowski, Wiktor Kulerski, Janusz Onyszkiewicz, Edward Wieczorek, Jacek Woźniakowski, Jan Piotr Lasota-Hirszowicz, Sandra Feldman, Herbert Magidson, Diana Ravitch, and Albert Shanker. From its foundation onward, the organization developed work in three connected areas: democratizing schools, strengthening civic responsibility and activism, and promoting solidarity across borders. Its school-focused work has included support for student councils and efforts to improve the participation of pupils and local communities in school life. The foundation has also supported civic education in Poland and abroad, treating democratic habits as practical skills built through participation, dialogue, and collective responsibility. Its international activities have extended the foundation's reach beyond Poland. Through Civic Education Abroad and related partnerships, it has worked in or supported initiatives in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, and Uzbekistan. Region in Transition, or RITA, has been associated with the Polish-American Freedom Foundation and aims to share Polish experience with democratic and free-market transformation in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. The foundation has also administered or supported global-education grant activity for Polish non-governmental organizations. Other initiatives have addressed specific communities and institutions. Szkoła.pl supports Polish-language supplementary schools outside Poland. The foundation has worked with Belarusian, Czech, Lithuanian, German, Slovakian, and Ukrainian minorities to encourage civic activity in local public life. Projects in selected Polish voivodeships have sought to build the capacity of student councils. Cultural and place-based activities have included the Michael Willmann Trail of the Sacred Baroque Art in Silesia, developed with the University of Wrocław and the Angelus Silesius Meeting House to encourage local engagement with regional heritage. The foundation has also maintained a networking role. It is a founding member of the Grupa Zagranica alliance of associations and of the Education for Democracy International Network, known as EDIT.net. Its cooperation has included the Polish-American Freedom Foundation and the Moscow School of Civic Education. Civicportal.org has functioned as an internet platform for international cooperation and civil-society support in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The organization has received several forms of public recognition. It was associated with a Democracy and Civil Society Award in 1988, a recognition that predates the foundation's formal establishment as described in available material. It later received the Pro Publico Bono Institution title in 2004, recognition as a Central and Eastern European non-governmental organization of the year in 2009, and a Polish Humanitarian Organisation medal in 2010. Since January 2012, it has participated in a student-council civic-activity project. The foundation operates as a Polish public-benefit organization and remains focused on educational, civic, grant-making, and international-cooperation work rather than commercial products.

• 2012

  Participation in student council civic-activity project

  [1]Education for Democracy Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Beginning in January, the foundation participated in the Student Council as a Civic Activity Experience at School project.

• 2010

  Polish Humanitarian Organisation medal

  [1]Education for Democracy Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The organization received a medal from the Polish Humanitarian Organisation.

• 2009

  Central and Eastern European NGO recognition

  [1]Education for Democracy Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The foundation was recognized as the non-governmental organization of the year in Central and Eastern Europe.

• 2004

  Pro Publico Bono recognition

  [1]Education for Democracy Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The foundation received the title of Pro Publico Bono Institution.

• 1989

  Foundation launched

  [1]Education for Democracy Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Polish and American educators established the Education for Democracy Foundation to support democratic education and civic development.

• 1988

  Democracy and Civil Society Award

  [1]Education for Democracy Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Available reference material associates the organization with a Democracy and Civil Society Award one year before its stated 1989 launch.

A public-benefit civil-society organization positioned at the intersection of democratic education, school participation, civic activism, international development cooperation, and global solidarity.

• International democracy and civil-society support

  Region in Transition (RITA)

  A program associated with the Polish-American Freedom Foundation that supports democratic and free-market transformation in countries of Eastern and Central Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. The foundation contributes by sharing Polish experience, supporting partnerships, and helping civil-society organizations develop practical capacity.

• Grant-making and development education

  Global Education

  A program area covering global and development education, including a regranting competition for Polish non-governmental organizations. It supports organizations working to broaden public understanding of international interdependence, global responsibility, and development issues.

• Supplementary education

  Szkoła.pl

  A support program for Polish-language supplementary schools located outside Poland. It addresses the educational and organizational needs of institutions that help Polish communities abroad maintain language, cultural connection, and civic ties.

• International civic education

  Civic Education Abroad

  An international program through which the foundation has carried out civic-education projects in countries including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, and Uzbekistan. Its approach emphasizes local partnership and the transfer of educational experience.

• School democracy

  Building Potential and Promoting Student Councils in Poland

  A project intended to improve the functioning of student councils in selected schools in the Lublin, Masovian, Podlaskie, and Świętokrzyskie voivodeships. It treats student self-government as a practical setting for learning participation, representation, and shared responsibility.

• Minority civic participation

  Locally Active Minorities

  A project supporting the civic activism of Belarusian, Czech, Lithuanian, German, Slovakian, and Ukrainian minorities in Poland. The initiative focuses on participation in local public life and on strengthening the ability of minority communities to engage with civic institutions.

• Cultural and local civic engagement

  Michael Willmann Trail of the Sacred Baroque Art

  A Silesian cultural-engagement project carried out with the University of Wrocław and the Angelus Silesius Meeting House. It seeks to encourage local activity, raise awareness of sacred Baroque monuments, and improve public access to regional cultural heritage.

• Online civil-society platform

  Civicportal.org

  An internet platform promoting international cooperation and supporting civil-society development in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It extends the foundation's networking and information-sharing role beyond individual education projects.

1. 1Education for Democracy Foundationen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Education for Democracy Foundation official websitefed.org.pl