A new educational project: “The Little Socrates Amphitheater – A space for critical thinking and dialogue”

April 22, 2026

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new project by the Garden of Science Association: “The Little Socrates Amphitheater – A Space for Critical Thinking and Dialogue”, an initiative dedicated to developing critical thinking skills among children in the Livada community.

Our project is among the six initiatives selected in the framework of a special edition dedicated to Arad County of the program “The Fund for a Better Future in Communities,” an important recognition of its relevance and educational impact at the local level.

What do we actually do in this project?

“The Little Socrates Amphitheater” is an educational program running over five months (March -July 2026), in which 200 primary and middle school students take part in activities focused on critical thinking and argumentation.

We work with children in age-appropriate groups through practical and interactive activities, where they:

  • learn to formulate their own opinions
  • practice distinguishing between facts and opinions
  • analyze information from everyday life (including from the online environment)
  • build simple and clear arguments
  • participate in mini-debates and role-playing games

For younger students (grades 1–4), activities are based on games, storytelling, and expression exercises that gradually build their confidence in speaking and arguing.

For middle school students, we introduce elements of structured debate, logical thinking, and critical analysis of information in an accessible, age-appropriate format. Moreover, argumentation takes shape through argumentative essays that address not only the development of critical thinking skills but also school assessment requirements, considering that argumentative writing is a key component in national evaluations at all levels.

A new space for learning: the outdoor amphitheater

A central element of the project is the construction of an outdoor educational amphitheater with approximately 30 seats.

This space will become:

  • the main venue for debate activities
  • an open setting for learning through dialogue
  • a meeting point for educational and community events

After the project is completed, the amphitheater will remain a permanent resource for the community, used for workshops, “School Otherwise” (Școala Altfel) and “Green Week” (Săptămâna Verde) and other local initiatives.

Învățare prin întâlniri și inspirație

Pe parcursul proiectului, copiii vor avea ocazia să interacționeze cu invitați și mentori din zona educației și dezbaterilor.

Activitățile vor include:

  • sesiuni speciale de dezbatere cu facilitatori experimentați
  • întâlniri cu tineri performanți în domeniul argumentării
  • exerciții ghidate de mentori care oferă modele reale de gândire critică

În plus, vom realiza:

  • 2 materiale video educaționale
  • un ghid digital de exerciții de gândire critică, destinat profesorilor și părinților

Why is this project important?

In many communities, children have limited opportunities to learn how to think critically, ask questions, and express their ideas in a reasoned way.

Through this project, we aim to change that by providing a space where:

  • questions are encouraged
  • dialogue is valued
  • mistakes are part of learning
  • every child can build their own voice

We believe that a child who learns to think critically becomes an adult capable of making informed decisions and actively contributing to their community.

More details about the project

For a complete description of the project, you can consult the funder’s page:
👉 https://fondulpentruunviitormaibun.ro/proiecte/amfiteatrul-micului-socrate-spatiu-pentru-gandire-critica-si-dialog/

Thank you for your support!

The project “The Little Socrates Amphitheater – A Space for Critical Thinking and Dialogue”, implemented by the Garden of Science Association, is funded through the “Fund for a Better Future in Communities,” 7th edition, a national program supporting community initiatives in education. The program is developed by the Federation of Community Foundations in Romania (FFCR), with the support of Lidl Romania, and coordinated in Arad by the Timișoara Community Foundation.

We also extend our thanks to our partners: the Livada City Hall, Livada Secondary School, the NGO ARDOR, and Zara Chișevescu, an 11th-grade student at “Nikolaus Lenau” High School in Timișoara, winner of the European German-language debate championship “Jugend debattiert International” (Berlin, 2025).

We also thank the media for covering the story!

Several media outlets in Arad have shared the news about the launch of the new project: Special Arad, ARADON, Critic Arad, Ghidul Arădean.

The project “The Little Socrates Amphitheater – A Space for Critical Thinking and Dialogue”, implemented by @Garden of Science Association, is funded through @The Fund for a Better Future in Communities, 7th edition, a national program supporting community initiatives for education, developed by the @Federation of Community Foundations in Romania – FFCR with the support of @Lidl Romania and coordinated in Arad by the @Timișoara Community Foundation.

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