The initiative aimed to strengthen partner organisations' work with young people by developing youth workers' STEAM competencies to encourage them to use innovative methods and digital tools. We did this by empowering youth workers to use creative and experiential learning methods in specific thematic areas on which the project relies to promote critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration in activities with young people and to help them informally learn about basic natural science concepts, which young people usually find difficult and complicated. We supported the involvement of underprivileged youth and the closure of digital skills gaps between youth workers and the youth they serve in all project activities. Partners created a manual and online platform as long-term tools. We created a sustainable network of youth workers from 3 countries who use the STEAM approach to work with youth and improved competence prerequisites through training and educational materials. This opened up new collaborations, ideas, and mutual support.
The I dig STE(A)M in Youthwork project was developed in collaboration with partner organisations, and we applied for the project in response to the common need to strengthen the competencies of youth workers in the fields of digital literacy, creative thinking, and the use of innovative learning methods, particularly in STEM and scientific literacy. Analysing joint activities, we discovered that our partner organisations have strengths in different areas and complement each other with thematic differences. However, a large number of youth workers and facilitators within partner organisations lack experience in using integrated methods that connect STEM with the digital and artistic fields. Young people, particularly those with fewer opportunities, frequently lack access to quality non-formal education that focusses on strengthening critical and creative thinking, so the goal of the project was to develop practical tools and a manual that will enable youth workers to include STEAM activities in their work, connect through European cooperation and exchange of experiences in order to contribute to a more inclusive, digitally empowered, and creative youth.