Internet as a tool for empowering young people

Young people consider themselves digital natives, and cannot understand life without internet access. Although they can easily browse online, they do not know how the internet works, what their rights and responsibilities are online and they are not aware of the dangers that exist in the digital space and so on. When it comes to digital security and safety, most of them have been fooled, at least once, by false news/information and have come into direct or indirect contact with acts of violence in the online environment (malicious comments, racism, intolerance, and even threats). 

A special emphasis must be put on the young people in rural areas who have limited opportunities of developing their digital literacy skills. This translates into the fact that those people are vulnerable compared to their peers, presenting a higher risk to fall into the dangers of the online environment.

With this in mind, Euroactive NGO designed the project “INternet as a Tool for Empowering Rural NativE youngsTers”, a youth exchange aiming to educate young people in rural areas as digital citizens.

The main activity will be an 8-day mobility in April 2022, where 28 young people from rural areas in Romania, Turkey, Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria, Poland and Greece will develop their communication and collaboration skills in the online environment, their knowledge about digital rights and responsibilities and their skills to use the internet safely.

The methodological approach was built on concepts such as digital skills and competences, digital safety, digital citizenship and inclusion, implementing a variety of non-formal educational methods such as storytelling, study case, simulation, role-play, debate, group talk, brainstorming, public market, and world caffee, etc.

The results of the project will focus on two perspectives, namely:

Intangible results: knowledge, skills, attitudes developed by young people;

Tangible results:

• a charter of digital rights;
• a Treasure Hunt guide that facilitates the exploration of digital concepts: cookies; user data; copyright; digital footprint; fake news etc.;
• a catalog of digital concepts – trolling, bullying, teasing, etc.;
• a digital presentation about the risks we encounter on the internet;
• a list of solutions for different types of Cyberbullying;
• photos and videos from the activities that will promote the youth and the Erasmus+ experience;

Stay close to finding out more!