Context/background: This project idea takes place in the context of digitalisation of societies, which is now additionally accelerated by the lockdowns due to the pandemic crisis. Youth work is actively searching for ways to organise youth work online without stopping their services to young people. At the European level, the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027 lists as one of its four objectives “to enable youth to become architects of their own lives, to take care of their own personal development and growth to independence, strengthen their resilience and develop life skills”. Partners of this project shall involve various youth groups to map and co-design residential and digital activities which will be visible at the Cities of Learning platform. We will build a mobile app enabling the youth to discover and follow personalised learning pathways. Objectives: 1. To create city-specific strategies on promoting opportunities for young people to develop 21st century skills. 2. To develop capacity of partner organisations to use Cities of Learning framework to create new digital learning opportunities and recognise 21st century skills of young people; 3. To create better access to 21st century learning opportunities by developing Mobile App for Cities of Learning 4. To promote new opportunities of 21st century skills in participating countries and at the European level. Participants: -> Young people, including youth with disabilities and fewer opportunities -> Youth workers -> Managers of youth work organisations and youth projects -> Local organisations providing 21st century skills development activities -> Youth work stakeholders in the involved cities Activities: -> 5 transnational partner meetings -> 1 study visit for staff of partners -> IO 1 - Strategies for Cities of Learning -> IO2 - 21st century skills learning pathways -> IO 3 - Mobile App for Cities of Learning -> Dissemination and visibility activities, including 6 Multiplying campaigns. Methodology: -> Digital Youth Work approach, principles and methodologies -> Framework to develop a city-level strategy, combining Core Skills of 21st century layer, City Identify layer and Technological layer -> Learning pathway development methodology based on Connected Learning principles -> Methodologies for technical innovation: Goal Directed Design, Design Thinking, Agile Development and Continuous Integration -> Adult learning and non-formal learning principles and methodology -> Participatory research and consultations for involving young people, learning providers and stakeholders Results: -> 6 city-specific strategies with mapped opportunities and gaps -> at least 50 Learning Pathways on 21st century skills, consisting of online activities (e.g. digital quiz and games) and offline activities (e.g. skills workshop, internship, event). -> Mobile App for Android and iOS phones for young people to discover learning opportunities, to participate and complete digital activities remotely as well as contact activity organisers, youth workers. Impact: -> more strategic and targeted approach in the field of youth work in partners municipalities, focusing on 21st century skills -> increased capacity of organisations to deliver digital youth work in 6 municipalities - Breda, Thessaloniki, Turin, Blackpool, Cluj-Napoca and Vilnius. -> increased 21st century skills -> increased cooperation internationally among project partners and locally, among local youth work organisations Longer term benefits: -> Young people having opportunities in their cities to develop 21st century skills and get recognition -> Local and international networks of learning providers promoting opportunities to develop 21st century skills -> Growing network and impact of Cities and Regions of Learning to transform the way young people and citizens learn in 21st century -> Digital innovations such as learning pathways on Cities of Learning platform and Mobile App tailored to the needs of young people and youth work practices
The primary objectives of implementing the project were as follows: 1. To create city-specific strategies aimed at promoting opportunities for young people to develop 21st-century skills. 2. To enhance the capacity of partner organisations in utilising the Cities of Learning framework to create innovative digital learning opportunities and effectively recognize the 21st-century skills of young people. 3. To improve access to 21st-century learning opportunities by developing a Mobile App for the Cities of Learning platform. 4. To actively promote new avenues for acquiring 21st-century skills within participating countries and at the European level, fostering awareness and engagement with these opportunities.
We applied to address the challenges during the COVID-19 crisis, physical contact and restricted access to traditional youth services have hindered support for young people. To tackle this, we proposed digitising youth work to provide necessary support in a digital format. Youth workers and young people emphasised the lack of programs targeting essential skills for today's and future generations. Recognizing the pandemic's impact and the growing role of technology in young people's lives, we believed digitization could effectively engage and support them. We aimed to explore digital youth work's potential and meet the changing needs of young people to bridge the gap between traditional and digital approaches, ensuring youth access the skills and support they need to thrive in the digital age. The project aligned with EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027, empowering young people with life skills and resilience. We engaged various youth groups in designing residential and digital activities showcased on the Cities of Learning platform. A mobile app now offers learning pathways for young people. The project successfully adapted to the digital era, providing valuable youth work services and fostering independence and resilience among youth.