Digital Youth Work Academy was an extensive 4 weeks online training course aiming to explore several digital tools and strategies that youth workers can use in order to digitalise their work with and for young people. It was organized by the National Agency Spain, in the frame of Erasmus+ Program, between the 14th of September and the 11th of October 2020.
From GEYC team, Gabriel Brezoiu joined as a trainer and Diana Ionita as a logistic person.
40 participants from 21 countries - Armenia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia, and Turkey - explored 5 fields in digital youth work:
(1) reach out (how to better reach specific segments of target groups);
(2) communication and promotion of youth work activities;
(3) internal communication;
(4) collaborative work and
(5) promotion of youth e-participation.
Participants had both, live sessions and asynchronous activities, as well as coaching opportunities. They used HOP platform to read the contents, deliver the weekly tasks, and discuss various issues related to the topics and met on Zoom, twice a week, to explore those more in-depth. The course was based on non-formal education methodology and included icebreakers, interactive presentations, discussions, debates, smaller groups brainstorming and collaborative work, exchanges of good practices, while testing various digital tools.
The training course aimed at:
- Promoting, among youth workers, the European Digital Competence Framework (also known as DigComp), which offers a tool to improve citizen's digital competence;
- Training youth workers to use digital tools in their work within their organisations and with young people;
- Promoting digital youth work cooperation at the European level.
The objectives of this e-learning opportunity were:
- Further use and awareness of the European Digital Competence Framework (DigComp) and assessment of participants of the competences in the areas of DigComp;
- Mapping current trends, challenges and stakeholders in the youth work field in connection with the digitalization;
- Training the participants in using several digital tools focused on (1) reach out (how to better reach specific segments of target groups); (2) communication and promotion of youth work activities; (3) internal communication; (4) collaborative work and (5) promotion of youth e-participation;
- Elaborating an action plan for each youth worker, focusing on the adoption of appropriate digital tools in their work.
- Experience the organisation of a digital event: European Digital Youth Summit - #EDYS20 (www.edys.eu) is a multistakeholder event aiming to bring together representatives of organizations, companies, authorities, media, academia, and young people in order to discuss the current challenges of the internet governance. DigYouWork(A) participants will have the chance to join the event as moderators, contributors, and communicators
- getting to know each participants background in youth work and/or digital competences;
- getting to know the programme, expectations, fears, and contributions;
- getting to know the European Digital Competence Framework (DigComp);
- assessment of digital competences;
- current trends and challenges in the (digital) youth work // PEST Analysis;
- stakeholders mapping.
Week 2 focused on Reach out & promotion of youth work activities, including:
- tools for increasing the reach out of youth work activities;
- tools for the promotion of youth work activities;
- dissemination impact indicators;
- creative laboratory: preparing a communication campaign on the topic of youth work.
- presentation of EQYP standard of quality in European Youth projects;
- importance of quality in youth work, quality indicators;
- tools for internal communication; tools for collaborative work.
Week 4 offered participants an opportunity to get a hands-on experience on Innovation in e-participation of young people, and included:
- laboratory of digital youth participation: joining EDYS - European Digital Youth Summit 2020;
- the role of youth work in promoting digital youth participation;
- relevant tools for the engagement & consultation of youth;
- recommendations for the stakeholders identified in Week 1;
- actions plans, Youthpass.
Here are some thoughts of the participants, at the end of Digital Youth Work Academy:
