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Dijital Gençlik: Tasarla, Öğren, Paylaş

2023-3-TR01-KA152-YOU-0001722582023Mobility of young peopleongoing
Countries: TR|IT|EL|UA|DE|MK|NL · Grant: €23,651
Media literacy and tackling disinformationDigital skills and competencesInformation and communication technologies (ICT)

Objectives

In today’s world, digital transformation plays a decisive role in many areas, from social life to the business world; therefore, it is of great importance for young people to adapt to this transformation. However, research conducted in Europe and worldwide shows that a significant portion of individuals aged 16–74 lack basic digital skills. According to the European Commission’s Digital Decade Targets, the aim is for at least 80% of the adult population to have basic digital skills by 2030. Nevertheless, current data reveal that there are still significant gaps in reaching this target. The challenges faced by individuals without digital skills in education, employment, and social integration processes have long ceased to be an issue concerning only one country. High youth unemployment rates, lack of access to digital opportunities, and social exclusion have become common challenges across Europe. In addition, incorrect or incomplete digital use also brings new risks such as cyberbullying and data security breaches. Within the İzmir Provincial Directorate of National Education, a team of experts working to enhance digital skills, raise online safety awareness, and prepare young people for the future labor market conducted a local needs analysis, which revealed the following findings: There are significant knowledge gaps among young people in the effective use of digital tools. Guidance is needed in areas such as coding, design, presentation techniques, and creative content production. Digital security and cyber awareness stand out as priority concerns for many young people. Accordingly, in order to reduce the digital divide and enhance digital literacy among youth, cooperation with institutions across Europe that possess diverse experiences and strong educational infrastructures has been seen as a critical step. The European Union also prioritizes projects that support young people’s adaptation to digital transformation through the Erasmus+ program. For this very reason, with the İzmir Provincial Directorate of National Education as the host, we implemented the Erasmus+ KA152 project titled “Digital Youth: Design, Learn, Share”, involving a total of 35 participants from the Netherlands, Greece, North Macedonia, Germany, Italy, Ukraine, and Türkiye. In our project, young people received both theoretical and practical training in areas such as design, coding, presentation, storytelling, gamification, Python-based game design, online collaboration tools (Canva, Adobe applications, Prezi, Genially, Taskade, PowerPoint, etc.), and cybersecurity. We also incorporated drama techniques and group work to create a more interactive learning environment and boost participants’ motivation. Throughout the one-week program, participants had the opportunity to learn about different cultures, strengthen their teamwork skills, and build international networks. This experience also inspired them to explore Erasmus+ opportunities, increase their participation in youth projects, and take the lead in similar initiatives in the future. The objectives of the project, defined in line with the needs analysis and the recommendations of partner organizations, were as follows: To develop the design, coding, digital presentation, storytelling, and game creation skills of 35 young participants, enabling them to gain competence in using tools such as Canva, Adobe, Python, Prezi, Genially, Taskade, and PowerPoint effectively. To increase the awareness of 35 young participants on cybersecurity, digital ethics, and data protection, thereby contributing to their ability to demonstrate safe behaviors in digital environments. To strengthen the creativity, teamwork, and intercultural dialogue skills of 35 young participants, allowing them to experience how digital applications can reinforce collaboration and a culture of sharing. To provide 35 young participants with knowledge about Erasmus+ and, in particular, youth mobility opportunities (such as KA152-YOU) in the 2022–2027 period, enhancing their motivation to take part in international projects in the future. Through this project, we aimed to help young people transform from mere consumers into producers who use their creativity and digital competences for social impact. The “Digital Youth: Design, Learn, Share” project represents an important step in demonstrating how young people from different European countries can collaborate and how digital skills can support intercultural dialogue. The experiences gained and the best practices developed will be disseminated and shared for use in similar projects, ensuring that broader audiences can benefit.

Project partners (7)