The course on Participation and Civic Engagement combines classroom-based learning with carefully selected field trips that bring key concepts vividly to life. In addition to indoor sessions, the students this term visited the ORF Landesstudio Salzburg, the Youth Center Taxham, the Robert Jungk Library, and the Mayor’s Office of Salzburg to explore participation in educational, social, and political contexts.

A particular highlight was the visit to the ORF Landesstudio Salzburg, where students gained first-hand insights into public broadcasting and the role of media in shaping public discourse and democratic participation. The behind-the-scenes perspective on media production sparked strong interest and highlighted how journalism contributes to informed civic engagement.

Equally engaging was the visit to the Youth Center Taxham, where students explored principles of open youth work such as voluntary participation, co-determination, and creating spaces in which young people can actively shape activities and decisions. This offered a concrete and practice-oriented understanding of how participation can be meaningfully enabled in everyday settings.

At the Robert Jungk Library, students were introduced to the Future Workshop method developed by Robert Jungk, gaining insight into how participatory processes can be used to develop shared visions and creative solutions for the future.

The visit to the Mayor’s Office of Salzburg provided a direct encounter with local governance, offering insights into decision-making processes and demonstrating how citizen participation is embedded in municipal structures and practice.

Overall, the course connects theory with practice in a way that encourages students to actively engage with different forms of participation and reflect on their relevance for future educational and professional contexts.