As part of its continued efforts to promote democratic engagement in Georgia, the Council of Europe’s Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance organised a simulation training on School Participatory Budgeting (SPB) from 30 June to 1 July 2025. The training brought together local experts in civil participation who had previously taken part in a Training of Trainers session in April 2025, with the aim of deepening their practical understanding of implementing SPB processes in Georgian schools.

Participants engaged in interactive exercises replicating the full SPB cycle — from preparing digital platforms and budget tools to simulating student participation in decision-making, using the Council of Europe’s CivicLab and UChange tools. The training employed a “learning by doing” methodology, equipping experts with the necessary competences to implement SPB in real school settings. The experts are now ready to apply this knowledge in selected Georgian schools, promoting inclusive, youth-led participation in local decision-making — in line with the Council of Europe’s commitment to democratic innovation and human rights-based governance.

The event was organised by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2024-2027 with support from the Austrian Development Cooperation, in the framework of the project “Advancing Participatory and Human Rights-Based Local Democracy in Georgia”.