The Children's Council

A comparison of two typologies

In the oldest proposal, created in France in the 1970s, the Children's Council was born as an experience of civic education and therefore as a type of role-playing game. In order: to help the children understand how the city administration works we let them live through all the phases that characterize it, from the electoral campaign, to the elections, to the election of a child mayor, to the City deliberations. This model is today quite widespread, (in Italy it goes by the name of the Children's City Council) involving mostly children from 10 to 14, who participate in the elections grouped into parties that propose a project as their electoral program. The party that wins will have its Mayor and its project will be carried out by means of a contribution of the City Council.
In the project "The City of Children" the children's Council is a group that "makes suggestions" to the adults. It is a group of children that works with the adults in the Laboratory. The adults are on their side, giving them the possibility of expressing and defending their point of view. The Council occupies itself with City problems. The children discuss them, obviously starting off from the aspects that they know, that regard them, denouncing possible inadequacies or injustices and formulating proposals.

A comparison of two typologies
Organization
Operations
Themes
Relations with Administrators
Where