The common problem, horizontally identified in the partner communities in Romania, Italy and Turkey is the lack of skills related to critical thinking and correct information for young people, both in youth and educational sectors. The ofteen distorted online information and the lack of young people's ability to apply critical thinking in day-to-day life influence their approach towards society, leads to stereotypes and hatespeech. There is no real synergy between youth and education sectors for using non-formal education in a structured format, based on methodology (media literacy and structured information), in order to support critical thinking skills among youngsters, especially for those with fewer opportunities. Critical thinking forms key competencies for career and life, while the formalized cooperation between youth and educational sectors in the consortium countries is inadequate. Through the project we aim to openly address this issue, in a model of youth-education sectors collaboration, starting from the specific needs identified by each partner among the direct target group (youngsters aged 14-20 years). Through the activities carried out, the project will generate opportunities to develop critical thinking and correct information competences for a target group of over 1,500 people (300 young people direct target group, 1000 young people who will use the e-learning platform, 200 people participating in the 3 events multiplication, 40 youth workers and teachers). Moreover, around 3.000 people and stakeholders will take part in the dissemination activities. The objectives of EDUcate YOUth are: O1. Development and consolidation of key competencies regarding critical thinking and correct information among 300 young people aged 14-20 from Romania, Italy and Turkey, by applying innovative learning methods based on a non-formal methodology model and a digital e-learning platform; O2. Generate a pilot cross-sectoral cooperation model between youth organizations and educational institutions (partners in the project), multiplied on a large scale in a main-stream system, for implementation of non-formal learning innovative methods in the areas of critical thinking and correct information; O3. Grant access for 200 young people with fewer opportunities aged 14-20, from isolated rural local communities of partners in Romania, Italy and Turkey, to non-formal learning resources, and the development of key competences that stimulate critical thinking and correct information; O4. Cross-sectoral increase of the organizational expertise for the 4 project partners (youth and education fields), by developing non-formal methodologies that create synergies between the 2 sectors. To achieve the objectives, the project includes the following activities and results: 1) Development of a non-formal methodology for working with young people, used to develop critical structured thinking and correct information 2) Development of a digital e-learning platform to facilitate the access of any young person, regardless of location, to the methods of correct information and avoidance of misinformation 3) Organizing 2 staff training courses (40 youth workers and teachers) for generating specific professional skills needed in working with young people on critical thinking 4) Organizing 3 events to multiply the results in Romania, Italy and Turkey
EDUcate YOUth was focused on 4 main pillars, linked with the project objectives. We pursued the following: 1. To develop and consolidate key competences regarding critical thinking and correct information among 300 youngsters from Romania, Italy and Turkey, by developing and applying innovative non-formal methods and make use of a digital learning system; 2. To generate a pilot cooperation model at trans-sectorial level (youth and educational sectors), which has the potential to be subsequently multiplied at a main-stream scale, through which can be implemented activities oriented towards critical thinking and medial literacy amoung youngsters aged 14-20 3. To provide access for 200 youngsters with fewer opportunities coming from rural isolated areas in Romania, Italy and Turkey to non-formal education resources 4. To increase the organizational capacity of the 4 consortium partners in the fields of youth and education, by developing a methodology with the potential to create synergies between these two key sectors.
EDUcate YOUth – Nonformal bridges to formal education was launched from the common need identified by the consortium leader and its 3 partners from Romania, Italy and Turkey for improving the critical thinking and media literacy competences at the youth level aged 14-20 years. Our work in the field and the ex-ante analysis showed a deterioration of the critical thinking competences for youngsters in the identified target groups from the 4 local communities (in subsidiary when dealing with digital media sources of information), strongly emphasized by the Covid-19 pandemic period. This needs analysis was backed-up by the limited transnational cooperation at youth field between youth NGOs and educational sector (schools). We understood the importance of a trans-sectorial approach when dealing with activities and methods oriented towards tackling disinformation and promoting critical thinking. Our approach was that the two sectors have a complementary function, and the impact on youngsters is strongly enhanced when the classical education sector is engaged in working with alternative non-formal education methods. Hence, the partnership consisted from two youth NGOs (RO and IT) and 2 educational institutions (TR and RO).