On May 20, 2025, the fifth case study “Learn from Ancestors to be Open and Self-Confident in the Future!” workshop was held in Daugavpils Secondary School of Opportunities for the development of pupils’ cultural understanding, creative self-expression and critical thinking skills within the framework of the “Horizon Europe” project “The Value of Cultural Literacy in Europe” (CLiViE). The aim of the case study is to find out how creative collaboration in craft workshops, led by professionals, can expand pupils’ knowledge of traditional Latvian crafts and cultural values, as well as promote their interactive skills and respect for the “other”. To achieve the goal of the case study, in close cooperation with the school management and teaching staff, the 5th-grade pupils were selected as the object of research, which corresponds to the age group “10–13 years” and is distinguished by its multinational composition.

The fifth case study workshop, led by Ginta Vasiljeva, a design and technology teacher at Daugavpils Secondary School of Opportunities, was dedicated to making felted soap. At the start, the teacher explained each step clearly and handed out the necessary materials, including soap base and coloured wool. The children showed creativity in how they chose and blended the colours. They were eager to take part and really enjoyed the soap-making activity. By the end of the workshop, the pupils were proud of what they had accomplished. In total, 28 pupils from the Daugavpils Secondary School of Opportunities took part in the workshop.

The case study leader, Dr. philol. Oksana Kovzele, a senior researcher at the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences of Daugavpils University, participated in the workshop and observed its progress.

The aforementioned activity concludes the case study’s series of creative workshops, which will be followed by data collection work (interviewing stakeholders, pupils’ focus group and questionnaire), as well as processing the obtained data.

CLiViE webside: https://www.clivieproject.eu

The project has received funding from the European Union’s “Horizon Europe” Research and Innovation programme under the grant agreement No. 101132285.

Further information:
Daugavpils University senior researcher, Dr. philol. Oksana Kovzele
oksana.kovzele@du.lv

CLiViEProject #agentsforchange

Photo: Oksana Kovzele