MINDtheGaps aims to contribute to the promotion of equal opportunities to young people in vulnerable situations, including those living in residential care institutions, to develop media literacy, digital inclusion and critical thinking and, therefore, conditions to live and participate on the information society and to access the labour market (social inclusion). MINDtheGaps uses a participatory intervention based on programming training and multimedia open educational resources development to empower young people to develop media literacy, critical thinking and to be able to share knowledge and collaboratively solve problems in partnership with young people from other European countries, in a non-formal context. This means that the project is in line with the New European Youth Policy (2019-2027) since it will develop new and innovative ways to achieve the priorities that are set out in national and EU policy: ENGAGE, CONNECT and EMPOWER young people through innovation, quality and recognition of youth work. The general objective unfolds in the following objectives: - To know the characteristics and the young people intersecting disadvantages of gender, race, religion, relation to education, learning disabilities, family status, geographical contexts and citizenship status; - To develop tools to educational institutions, in general, to implement inclusive education approaches and promote common values through digital media; - To promote effective use of existing tools to promote citizenship education; - To deepen knowledge about inclusive educational innovative approaches regarding media literacy with young people living in residential care institutions; - To promote young people and staff cross-border situations contact to experience European identity to prevent radicalisation leading to violent extremism through the promotion of common values as a vector of social inclusion; - To raise awareness about the risks and opportunities of the internet and social media; - To develop practical recommendations with regard to the development of media literacy and critical thinking practices both in formal and informal education and training activities among young people in socially vulnerable situations; - To disseminate the produced knowledge evolving policy makers, State care institutions, schools, teacher’s associations, European networks, education administrative staff, etc. The primary target group will involve 100 young people aged between 15-18 years old in risk of exclusion, including NEETs facing educational difficulties, learning difficulties, early school-leavers, low qualified adults, young people with poor school performance, economic obstacles, cultural differences. This target-group was selected because they are facing the transition from the teenage to the early adult age; some of them have equated an eventual school drop-out, which will require them to look for a job, in order to avoid NEET situations. The project's deliveries, namely an innovative practices handbook, online education resources, assessment/testing materials and distance learning platform, are intended to be used and adapted in other educational and training contexts, both formal and informal, ensuring project sustainability and long-term impact. The end-users are schools communities/residential care institution staff (school as an institution: managers, administrative staff, education counsellors, parents, surrounding communities, students – from 12 to 16 years old – and teachers). MINDtheGaps impact envisage is to contribute to develop innovative practices at both partners’ countries and EU level to guarantee “the right to quality and inclusive education, training and lifelong learning in order to maintain and acquire skills that enable [everyone] to participate fully in society and manage successfully transitions in the labour market” (European Pillar of Social Rights, 2017). They are also in sync with the targets of Europe 2020 Agenda, namely at the educational level, contributing to a decrease of early school leaving and to diminish the levels of people in or at risk of poverty/social exclusion and the number of NEETs.
MINDtheGaps aimed to contribute to reducing the digital literacy gap among young people facing vulnerable situations. By implementing the project we wanted to disseminate European resources to promote citizenship education, to deepen knowledge and raise awareness about media literacy with an inclusive approach, to develop open educational resources, and to share knowledge and practices with regard to the development of media literacy and critical thinking practices both in formal and Informal education and training activities among young people in socially vulnerable situations.
The MINDtheGaps project was in line with the European youth strategy (2019-2027), it was designed to enhance the conditions for young people to be engaged, connected and empowered. The main needs addressed by the project were: - The need to increase opportunities for involvement in transnational activities for young people from disadvantaged families; - The need to develop knowledge and digital skills among students from different minority groups; - The need to support active, critically aware and responsible community engagement through content creations and share; - The need to promote awareness-raising on online safety, media literacy and ‘cyber hygiene’ for children, parents/tutors and teachers.