To mark International Children’s Rights Day, UNICEF is inviting schools in Switzerland and Liechtenstein to participate in YES. This hands-on activity makes children’s rights a tangible part of everyday school life – with a special focus on Art. 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child: the right to participation.
Yes to co-determination. Yes to participation. Yes to children’s rights.
On November 20, we celebrate International Children’s Rights Day. Schools in Switzerland and Liechtenstein can use this day to explore children’s rights together and experience participation firsthand.
Through the YES Day school initiative, children and young people create a space for their ideas and work together to carry out a small project as part of their daily school life. This is how co-determination becomes concrete, creative and democratic. Because their opinions matter – and not just on Children’s Rights Day.
Children’s rights belong in school
On November 20, 1989, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Ever since then, Children’s Rights Day has served as a reminder every year that every child has rights – also in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. This includes the right to be heard and taken seriously.
Children’s Rights Day is therefore more than just a day of commemoration. It’s an opportunity to involve children and young people and show them that participation can make a difference.
This is YES Day
YES Day can be flexibly integrated into the school day – in class, during class council meetings, on a project day, in after-school programs, or as a school-wide event. This initiative is suitable for elementary schools, secondary schools and special education schools, as well as for individual classes, grade levels or entire schools. Whether you’re dealing with younger children or teenagers, the scope and topic can be adapted to the students’ age, the type of school and the specific circumstances. This way, YES Day combines children’s rights with education in democracy, participation, collaborative learning and the school as a living space.
The school initiative invites children and young people to explore a question from their everyday lives: Where would they like to have a say? What would they like to have a say in? And what can they change together? From the ideas they’ve gathered, the students democratically select a project and carry it out together.
For example, this could be:
- a lesson topic
- a place of learning
- an activity in everyday school life
- an idea for lunch break
- a trip
- a new working group
- a group project at school
Five steps to creating your own event
Defining the framework
The teacher decides – together with the students, if they wish – what can be put to a vote. This provides a clear framework for the event while also leaving room for the children and young people to contribute their own ideas.
Gathering ideas
The students come up with their own ideas for their YES Day. In doing so, they think about where they would like to have a say, participate in decision-making or bring about change in their everyday school life.
Voting democratically
Afterward, the proposals are discussed as a group. The students decide democratically which idea should be implemented.
Planning the event
The selected idea is developed in detail: Who is responsible for which task? What is needed? And what are the next steps that need to be taken?
Implementing YES Day
The school, class or group holds its YES Day and works together to put the chosen idea into action. Through this process, students learn that their opinions matter and that they can actively help shape their daily school life.
Schools will receive these materials
To ensure that implementation goes smoothly, UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein provides appropriate information materials. These include:
- A guide to the initiative
- Voting stickers for the democratic selection process
- “Our YES Day” poster for planning the event
- Digital resources: Input on the topic of participation and involvement
The materials can be adapted according to age, school type and time frame.
Order resource package
A resource package contains materials for a school class. These include a guide to the initiative, a planning poster and voting stickers.
Why YES Day is important
Art. 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child defines the right of children and adolescents to freely express their views in all matters affecting them. Their opinions should be taken into account in accordance with their age and maturity.
YES Day shows how participation can be successfully integrated into everyday school life: in a concrete, age-appropriate way, and with minimal extra effort. The initiative strengthens democratic skills, self-efficacy and a sense of community at school.
When students experience that their ideas are heard and make a difference, children’s rights education becomes a tangible reality.
Register your school, class or group for YES Day now and join your students in taking a stand for civic engagement and children’s rights.
Standing together for children’s rights
On November 20, schools, communities, organizations and other stakeholders raise awareness about children’s rights. Child Rights Network Switzerland and UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein are providing a free Children’s Rights Day label for this purpose.
Use the label for your event, project or materials to show that: Children’s rights are important to us.
Contact
Do you have any questions about the school initiative, the materials or the Children’s Rights Day label? We’ll be happy to help you.