One of the main objectives is to reach and include a group of young people at risk of exclusion, but the participating group should be mixed (which means also including youngsters who are not at risk of exclusion), to increase the sense of belonging and as a result aiming at increasing civic engagement.

A general objective is that the participants will feel more connected to their Hungarian roots, and respect different religions and cultural backgrounds in the nation. By getting to know more about their local surroundings they may feel more encouraged to visit these buildings/ shops/ museums /bars, and connect later with the local community either to deepen their knowledge, or just to have fun. These connections are very important, it is a possibility that by visiting these places some of the youngsters are going to be more curious, and manage to get a job at a given small business or institution.

The objectives also include boosting the skills of critical thinking and civic engagement. Including locals and in the activity motivates them to get to know more about their country’s culture & history and connect with the “society” in a direct way, which creates a sense of belonging. Those youngsters who have a stronger connection to their culture will less likely to leave the country, which on the long-term have various benefits.

Setting

The activity takes place in Budapest, non Pest side. It is full of memorials and historical places from the World War II, and they are approachable on foot from the city center. The weather is an important factor, since it’s and outdoor activity. The participants should be ready to walk 1-2 hours in the city. Special attention is required by the trainer, since there are other people and traffic in the city.

The PBL goes through some of the important historical places of the city. It provides the chance to meet local people, and see everyday life of these parts of the city. During the activity the participants should connect with the locals, that way they put their PBL experience to next level.

The Trainer

The trainer is a youth worker who has a broad knowledge about the local reality of Budapest. It is especially important to include a trainer who has the ability to lead a group, and create a meaningful learning atmosphere for a diverse group of youngsters. The characteristics of him/her is favorably similar to the participating young people’s, but having the necessary trainer skills are also necessary for a successful PBL activity. Very important characteristic of the leader is patience, the ability to teach in an entertaining way, inclusion and having knowledge about non-formal learning methods.

A good choice would be someone who leads walks in the city, as a tour guide. Or a university student at the end of their studies or at masters or at phd level, in history related studies.

The trainer has to be empathic, generally friendly, opened-minded, and has to be able to manage small groups, in a way that he/she includes each of the participants in the learning process.

The activity

The Hungarian place-based learning activity takes place in Budapest, in the heart of the city. Budapest has 7 main bridges, and each of them has a unique story. The city has a long history, and a very interesting part of that is the World War II. During these times many buildings were destroyed, and had to be renovated. The war is a lively memory for our grandparents, and deeply altered the history/culture of the whole country. After the war ended, the Soviet Union took over the city for many years, which transformed it’s architecture, political structure, culture and everyday life of citizens in the whole country. The 5 bridges at that time were destroyed, then rebuilt in the upcoming years (2 were added).

During the activity, the most important places of the city are visited, connecting present history to World War II times. Budapest has 2 sides: Pest and Buda. Between the Elisabeth and Margaret Bridge at Pest side, the following places are visited:

Dohány Street Synagogue – the Arrow Cross Party, Hungarian jews during the war and today

Szimpla Kert & its surroundings – Jewish quarter during the war, ruin bars today and the epicenter of nightlife

Khoser food and the main dishes of Jewish-Hungarian food – have a look at shops, restaurants

Carl Lutz memorial – Who were the heroes who rowed against the hostility and indifference against the Jewish People, and why, their sacrafices

Jewish Ghetto wall fragment – the life in the Ghetto

Széchenyi István square & The Chain Bridge – the history of bridges, destruction and renovation, their significance in Budapest

Liberty Square – statues in the past, and now (ronald reagan, george bush) + Soviet War Memorial
Shoes on the Danube Bank – history and teaching
Optional: the “IN MEMORIAM 1956 October 25th” monument at the Parliament
The Parliament – history and meaning

Optional: Holocaust center on Pest side

Optional: Bunkermúzeum at Buda side

Optional: Bunker hospital at Buda side

The activity focuses on historical and cultural history of Budapest and the citizens of Budapest. The present’s & past architecture, language, religion, food and everyday life of Budapest are the main aspects of this PBL.

Evaluation

Prior to the implementation, the trainer creates a questionnaire. This is going to include questions regarding the topic, and it’s goal is to measure the knowledge of the participants. The knowledge can be measured by a scale (rate your knowledge 1 to 5) or a small sentence as feedback.

The most important questions are:

• How familiar are you with the World War II impacts on Budapest?
• How many historical monuments do you know in details in the city? Name them
• To what extent do feel a belonging to the local community?

More questions can be added, and at the end of activity the participants should complete the questionnaire again (hopfeully with different answers), with extra questions such as:

• Do you feel you know more about the World War II impacts in Budapest?
• Do you feel more familiar with the circumstances of citizens during these times?
• Are you inspired to get to know more about the topic?
• Was the PBL generally useful for you?
• Are you inspired to act in the local community?

Follow-up

After the activity, the trainer offers the opportunity to work together with the participants on implementing another PBL. A cooperation can be born between the participants, if that happens the PBL is considered successful in a way, since it motivated the youngsters to act, and go forward. Other topics can be processed as well, as well as other ways of implementation. The “optional” venues can also be visited by the group, and it provides the possibility to invite others too.