Training course: Enhancing youth participation in local and regional life and community through digital tools

Location: Portugal

Dates: 23-27 April 2020

Participating countries: Erasmus+: Youth in Action Programme countries

Number of participants: 30

Apply here: Application form (need to register on SALTO)

Organizer: Portuguesa National Agency for Erasmus + Youth in Action

Deadline to apply: 31 March 2020

Date of Selection: 4 April 2020

Inquiries about this project: carla.marques@juventude.pt

Enhancing youth participation in local and regional life and community through digital tools

This Training Course aims to address digital youth work by developing capacities for valuing spaces for democratic participation of young people online, by using social media.

This activity aims to contribute to value spaces and structures for the democratic participation of young people online, making them effective places for meaningful participation, reflection, creativity and positive community relation, promoting democratic citizenship.

The training aims also to reinforce the work of youth organizations and other public and private entities (schools, NGOs and municipalities, others) working with and for young people, namely, the so called “digital natives”.

The objective is to address digital youth work by developing their capacities for valuing spaces for democratic participation of young people online, by using social media,  online activities and tools for educating, networking, researching, sharing information and campaigning.

Most young people use the internet daily or almost daily having access to tons of information, channels to network, to play and to produce their own content (posts, videos, music or pics) and that youth workers, youth organizations and most of the entities working with and for young people face several challenges when it comes to digital youth work.

It is essential to create a space where we can reflect about our and young people’s competences, resistances and needs along with the possibilities of looking for possible ways of combining digital and face-to-face youth work, creating opportunities for increasing our effectiveness with young people and supporting young people in using social and online digital tools safely.

Using non-formal education methodologies and approaches and having the learners and the organizational needs as a starting point for this learning process, we will work to fulfil the following objectives:

  • To promote clarification and critical reflection among participants on meaningful youth participation;
  • To increase the knowledge and understanding of participants about digital youth work (meanings, limitations and conditions)
  • To explore various tools, projects and spaces of digital participation;
  • To increase awareness on the risks, challenges, opportunities and obstacles of digital participation in the different contexts of participants,