Digital Youth Work Academy - DigYouWork(A)

We will explore 5 fields in digital youth work: (1) reach out (how to better reach specific segments of target groups); (2) communication and promotion of youth work activities; (3) internal communication; (4) collaborative work and (5) promotion of youth e-participation.

Aims

• Promoting, among youth workers, the European Digital Competence Framework (also known as DigComp), which offers a tool to improve citizen's digital competence;
• Training youth workers to use digital tools in their work within their organisations and with young people;
• Promoting digital youth work cooperation at the European level.

Objectives

• Further use and awareness of the European Digital Competence Framework (DigComp) and assessment of participants of the competences in the areas of DigComp;
• Mapping current trends, challenges and stakeholders in the youth work field in connection with the digitalization;
• Training the participants in using several digital tools focused on (1) reach out (how to better reach specific segments of target groups); (2) communication and promotion of youth work activities; (3) internal communication; (4) collaborative work and (5) promotion of youth e-participation;
• Elaborating an action plan for each youth worker, focusing on the adoption of appropriate digital tools in their work.
• Experience the organisation of a digital event: European Digital Youth Summit - #EDYS20 (www.edys.eu) is a multistakeholder event aiming to bring together representatives of organizations, companies, authorities, media, academia, and young people in order to discuss the current challenges of the internet governance. DigYouWork(A) participants will have the chance to join the event as moderators, contributors, and communicators.

Course structure

Participants will use the HOP platform at their own pace (facilitated by the organisers) to read the contents connected with the tasks to deliver and to communicate among them and facilitate their group work. Each week a starting and a mid-week videoconference (around 2 hours each) will be used to focus and clarify the tasks to work throughout the week. Trainers will be available to participants during the week for mentorship appointments to help them out with the tasks.

#1 week: Current trends, challenges and stakeholders

• getting to know each participants background in youth work and/or digital competences;
• getting to know the programme, expectations, fears, and contributions;
• getting to know the European Digital Competence Framework (DigComp);
• assessment of digital competences;
• current trends and challenges in the (digital) youth work // PEST Analysis;
• stakeholders mapping.

#2 week: Reach out & promotion of youth work activities

• tools for increasing the reach out of youth work activities;
• tools for the promotion of youth work activities;
• dissemination impact indicators;
• creative laboratory: preparing a communication campaign on the topic of youth work.

#3 week: Internal communication & collaborative work

• presentation of EQYP standard of quality in European Youth projects;
• importance of quality in youth work, quality indicators;
• tools for internal communication; tools for collaborative work.

#4 week: Innovation in e-participation of young people

•  laboratory of digital youth participation: joining the EDYS - European Digital Youth Summit 2020 (online event);
• the role of youth work in promoting digital youth participation;
• relevant tools for the engagement & consultation of young people;
• recommendations for the stakeholders identified in Week 1;
• actions plans & Youthpass.

The course framework allows participants to organise their own time to complete it in a combination of other duties they may attend (if it were the case). Thus, the training course includes the following types of activities:

• the online live group interaction at the videoconferences sessions (2 per week of around 2 hours each, Mondays and Thursdays at 6 pm CET / 4 pm GMT). Attendance required for the videoconferences will be 75%; 
• the weekly 1-to-1 mentorship possibility to be scheduled with one of the trainers; 
• the eLearning contents and discussions to be followed at the participants’ own pace - published each Monday morning on the HOP platform; 
• and the delivery of a minimum of 75% of the proposed weekly tasks is required.

The expected self-managed workload for participants concerning tasks, use of the platform and self-study is about 8-10 hours per week.