Ctrl+Alt+Solidarity: training course on digital empowerment in European Solidarity Corps

Ctrl+Alt+Solidarity training course is designed for organisations that want to enhance the digital dimension of their work within the ESC programme.

Digitalisation influences how young people communicate, participate, learn, engage in communities, and experience volunteering. For organisations active in the European Solidarity Corps, this creates both opportunities and challenges. Digital tools can support inclusion, solidarity, participation, communication, learning, reflection, recognition, and dissemination, but they also raise important questions related to access, ethics, sustainability, quality, and impact.

This training course will offer a space for participants to explore the concept of digital youth work, understand its relevance in the ESC context, exchange practices, discover tools and methods, and reflect on how to strengthen digital empowerment in their own organisational reality. The programme will explore how digital youth work and digital empowerment can be meaningfully integrated into European Solidarity Corps projects. Participants will reflect on their organisation’s digital needs, strengths, and gaps, while discovering tools and approaches that can support learning, reflection, recognition, participation, and project quality. Participants will also strengthen their understanding of DigComp, media literacy, critical thinking, and the ethical use of AI, and will be supported in turning these insights into concrete action for their future project cycle and organisational development.

The course combines conceptual input, peer learning, practical exchange, self-assessment, reflection, examples of good practice, and action planning.

Aim of the training

The training aims to strengthen the capacity of organisations active in the European Solidarity Corps to understand, use, and strategically integrate digital youth work in their projects, in ways that enhance solidarity, participation, inclusion, quality, and organisational development

Objectives

During the training, participants will:

• Explore and understand the concept of digital transformation and digital youth work and its relevance for organisations working within the European Solidarity Corps
• Reflect on personal and organisational digital realities, including needs, strengths, gaps, and development priorities
• Understand how the digital priority connects with ESC projects, especially in relation to solidarity, participation, inclusion, sustainability, learning, and project quality
• Exchange digital practices and methods that can support ESC activities
• Increase their competences in key thematic areas, such as DigComp, media literacy, critical thinking and ethical use of AI in youth projects
• Develop concrete ideas for integrating digital elements across the project cycle, from preparation to implementation, follow-up, and dissemination.

Profile of participants

We are looking for participants who:

• are involved in organisations active in the European Solidarity Corps,
• work as staff members, coordinators, mentors, youth workers, or project managers,
• are interested in strengthening the digital dimension of their work with young people,
• are willing to share experiences and learn from others,
• are motivated to reflect on their own practice and develop concrete follow-up steps.

What participants can expect

Participants will:

• gain a clearer understanding of digital youth work in the ESC context,
• discover practical tools and examples,
• exchange with peers from other organisations,
• assess their own competences and organisational realities,
• receive inspiration for future partnerships and project development,
• be inspired with concrete ideas and an action plan for follow-up.

Important note

This training is not a technical IT course. Its’ focus is on how organisations can meaningfully and strategically use digital approaches in youth work and volunteering projects within the European solidarity corps.