Context
The digital world is evolving at a rapid pace, and with it comes both opportunity and responsibility. Recognizing the need to empower citizens with the knowledge and skills to navigate the digital landscape effectively, the Council of Europe has declared 2025 as the European Year of Digital Citizenship Education.
This initiative aims to enhance public awareness, strengthen policies, and promote collaboration among stakeholders to ensure digital citizenship becomes a core educational priority across Europe.
The European Year of DCE 2025 aims to:
- Raise awareness of the importance of digital citizenship education
- Ensure accessibility for all, particularly young people
- Establish DCE as a long-term policy priority beyond 2025
- Encourage cross-sector collaboration among public, private, and civil society stakeholders
- Enhance access to resources and innovative educational practices
The European Year of Digital Citizenship Education is not just a temporary campaign, it’s a movement toward a long-term commitment to responsible digital engagement. From 2027 to 2032, stakeholders across Europe will work together to implement a strategic roadmap ensuring sustainable digital citizenship education for future generations. Looking forward, GEYC is proud to contribute to the larger vision of an informed, responsible, and inclusive digital society. Let’s shape the future of digital citizenship together!
What is Digital Citizenship Education?
Digital Citizenship Education (DCE) focuses on equipping individuals with essential competencies to engage in the digital world ethically, responsibly, and effectively. It enables people to:
- Think critically and act responsibly online
- Collaborate and contribute positively to society
- Protect personal and shared digital information
- Respect digital rights and responsibilities
- Continue learning to adapt to digital transformations
Key focus areas
DCE encompasses multiple dimensions to ensure a well-rounded digital education:
| Access & Inclusion – Bridging the digital divide and embracing diversity | Learning & Creativity – Encouraging innovation and creative expression | Media & Information Literacy – Promoting critical thinking in media consumption |
| Ethics & Empathy – Understanding and respecting different perspectives online | Health & Well-being – Managing the impact of digital technology on mental and physical health | E-Presence & Communication – Building a positive and secure online identity |
| Active Participation – Engaging responsibly in the digital world | Privacy & Security – Protecting personal and shared data | Consumer Awareness – Navigating digital spaces ethically as users and entrepreneurs |
Our work
At GEYC, the concept of digital citizenship aligns with our ongoing work in two core areas: Digital and Democracy & Human Rights, under the Digital citizenship education cross-portfolio topic. We
focus on strengthening digital rights, promoting ethical engagement, and empowering individuals to navigate digital spaces responsibly.
Digital citizenship empowers people to act responsibly, make
informed decisions, and understand the broader implications of their
digital actions. This is why we focus on strengthening the rights of
individuals while promoting ethical and effective use of digital
tools. Through our projects, we address key challenges such as
misinformation, online safety, privacy protection, and youth
participation in digital democracy.Let's discover GEYC's most important initiatives in this field:
| GEYC has been actively involved in supporting local communities in Romania, running projects aimed at encouraging youth involvement in civic life and creating a positive local impact. Whether in Câmpina, Dorohoi, Mangalia, or Lugoj, GEYC has initiated grassroots-level interventions to inspire young people to become more active, aware of their potential, and engaged in shaping the future. Câmpina, Mangalia, Dorohoi, and Lugoj, though distinct in culture and geography, share several core characteristics and challenges when it comes to youth development. |
Find out more |
| Empowering Romanian high school students (14-18 y/o) to develop digital skills through five interactive workshops facilitated by ESC volunteers. | geyc.ro/pixels-of-change |
| A weekly Instagram campaign raising awareness and educating our community on critical digital issues. | Instagram #digitfotw |
| A 6-month program including training, mentorship and hands-on experience to combat hate speech in the Euro-Mediterranean region, part of No Hate Embassy project. | nhe.coconutwork.org |
| A dedicated initiative promoting discussions, activities, and awareness campaigns around digital rights and responsibilities. |
#dcw24withgeyc #dcw23withgeyc |
| GEYC is an official Ambassador of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), promoting this democratic tool that allows EU citizens to propose policy changes and influence European decision-making. | ECI Website |
| GEYC has joined the EU Children’s Participation Platform, empowering children and young people to express their views, participate in consultations, and influence European policies on key issues such as social inclusion, mental health, and online safety. | ECPP Website |
| The Changemakers Bootcamp is designed to empower youth aged 16-25 - aspiring changemakers, youth leaders, educators, activists, and community engagers - by enhancing their digital citizenship skills through interactive learning and peer-to-peer leadership development. This event particularly focuses on fostering democratic participation and civic engagement by integrating podcasting as an innovative tool.
The Changemakers Bootcamp is an intensive 1 month program that supports our young activists in improving their digital changemaking skills (both hard and soft). What makes the Changemakers Bootcamp different is our approach to taking action: we offer an environment of learning from specialists and co-creating ways to take actions to solve local problems that are connected to Global Goals throughout the programme. Changemakers Bootcamp is organized as a dissemination event in the frame of DEMPOD project (Project ID: 101112244), funded by Erasmus+ Virtual Exchanges in Higher Education and Youth, programme of the European Union. The project is supporting our community members to increase their civic engagement and democratic participation through podcasting. Our initiative directly contributes to several key goals of the European Year of Digital Citizenship Education 2025:
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#changemakersbootcamp |
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