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Infodemic - Path to Wellness:

2023-3-DE04-KA153-YOU-0001797462023Mobility of youth workersfinalized
Countries: DE|PL|PT|SE|ES|IT|TR · Grant: €47,805
Quality and innovation of youth workPhysical and mental health, well-beingDigital skills and competences

Objectives

The Infodemic – Path to Wellness project was implemented in response to the rising challenges of the digital era, which have been intensified by recent global disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the European war, and economic crises. These overlapping challenges have led to increased digital dependency, heightened exposure to misinformation, and growing concerns about youth mental health. The project aimed to address these interlinked issues by empowering educators, youth workers, trainers, and NGO staff to better support young people in navigating the digital world with resilience, awareness, and responsibility. The overarching goal of the project was to strengthen the capacity of youth workers to respond to the digital transformation through a holistic approach that integrates digital skills, mental well-being, and non-formal education (NFE) practices. More specifically, the project pursued the following objectives: // To Enhance Digital Competences (DigiComp) of participants. We aimed to equip participants with practical digital skills, including their ability to use online tools, manage privacy settings, assess information critically, and use new technologies like generative AI in their personal and professional work. // To Promote Digital Safety and Literacy. Here we meant to Increase awareness of online safety, cybersecurity, and data protection (e.g., GDPR). Participants learned how to protect themselves and the young people they work with from misinformation, cyberbullying, and digital manipulation, while gaining tools for responsible online engagement. // To Cultivate Mental Well-being in the Digital Age. Besides working on the hard skills and know how to aspects we also aimed to raise awareness of the mental health implications of excessive digital use, social media pressure, and online misinformation among the participants. They were trained to promote emotional resilience, digital boundaries, and mental wellness among young people through supportive, inclusive practices. And here we used the method of learning by doing. Participants themselves were learning a diversity of approaches and practicing them to later be able to pass them to the youth they are working with. // To Apply and Disseminate Non-Formal Education (NFE) Methodologies. First of all we aimed to showcase the principles of NFE and educate participants on how to build NFE activities themselves, let them practice these core principles by running workshops with each other and with their respective communities. We wanted to empower participants to implement interactive, learner-centered, and inclusive NFE methods tailored to digital education. These methods were practiced during the training and further applied in local workshops, with the goal of creating a replicable toolbox for future initiatives, which in fact was published on the respective platforms, like Salto, Project results and SM of partners. // To Foster Responsible Digital Citizenship. Here we aimed to encourage participants to model ethical online behavior and promote values such as digital rights, inclusion, respect for diversity, and human dignity. The project aimed to instill a sense of responsibility and global citizenship among both youth workers and the young people they work with. // To Facilitate International Cooperation and Peer Learning. With the project we aimed to build a strong network of youth workers and organizations across partner countries to exchange experiences, best practices, and resources related to digital education and well-being. This collaboration aimed to strengthen cross-border learning and sustainability. // To Promote Erasmus+ and Upskilling Opportunities. Last but not least, with the project we planned to raise awareness about Erasmus+ as a platform for professional development and digital transformation in the youth sector.

Project partners (7)