In partnership with DemoLab (Costa Rica), the Cornell Center on Democracy is supporting the development and impact evaluation of Freedom Academy. Freedom Academy is an innovative democratic civic education platform, free and online, that promotes active and responsible civic participation and engagement in response to the current pressing challenges to democracy. It is designed to strengthen critical thinking, leadership, and understanding of the principles of freedom and democracy, connecting these concepts with real-world cases and concrete development opportunities. The Freedom Academy consists of three different programs: Freedom Course, Freedom Ambassador Network (FAN), and Freedom & Community.
The Freedom Course
The Freedom Course is a free-access, asynchronous 15-hour online course certified by Cornell based on a methodology logic of Knowledge-Reflection-Practice, with the objective of teaching participants principles of freedom and democracy and, more importantly, motivating them to practice these principles in their environments and daily lives. This Theory of Change (Knowledge-Reflection-Action) methodology serves as a backbone to teach students the theoretical foundations of freedom and democracy, create spaces for self-reflection on individual agency and internal civic efficacy, and inspire participants to act. The Freedom Course across its 7 modules features real-life case studies of democracy defenders, presenting a new model of civic education rooted in experiential learning and transformative pedagogy. The high-quality cinematic documentary content created by DemoLab creates an engaging and uniquely effective learning experience.
The Freedom Ambassador Network
The Freedom Ambassador Network paves the way for graduates of the Freedom Course to access new tools, resources, and opportunities that facilitate the transition from knowledge to action. Its purpose is to develop democratic leaders with the willingness and ability to defend freedom and democracy, fostering civic innovation, and generating sustainable social and economic impact. The program provides different pathways or tracks of action to support Freedom Ambassadors in their civic journey: continued learning and scholarships, microgrants for civic projects, volunteering opportunities, financial freedom and entrepreneurship, and access to global events.
The Freedom & Community Activation Programs
The Freedom & Community activation programs transform civic education from a digital learning experience into an in-person community experience. In line with DemoLab’s mission to combat civic apathy and scale civic action, the program brings the principles of freedom and democracy into the spaces where local communities meet.