This article reflects on the processes and outcomes of a project which sought to develop knowledge and skills in democratic education among lecturers and students at the School of Education of The Gambia College. Over the course of the project, professional development workshops were conducted, and the impact of these was assessed in subsequent research. The research revealed a variety of responses in terms of the degree of impact that the workshops had had on participants, but also inspired questions about local interpretations of democracy, and about the ethics and effectiveness of interventionist projects of this kind.