Trust is the beating heart of democracy, and of citizenship education itself. In this session, discover how trust can be actively taught and lived in the classroom, as a shield against populism and misinformation and a springboard for engaged, resilient young citizens. Drawing on evidence-based research and ACT’s own model curriculum, we’ll dig into what it really takes to build a democratic culture in schools, right as England’s citizenship curriculum enters a pivotal new chapter.

Get hands-on with ACT’s deliberative classroom framework and Active Citizenship Toolkit: practical tools that turn students from passive listeners into active changemakers. Through interactive activities and guided discussion, you’ll experience first-hand how dialogue, inquiry, and collaboration build trust between students, teachers, and their wider communities.

Walk away with fresh insight into how curriculum, culture, and community come together to nurture civic trust, plus concrete strategies you can bring straight back to your own classroom.

Facilitated by Liz Moorse and Naomi Kennedy (Association for Citizenship Teaching, UK) and James Sloam (Royal Holloway, University of London).