SALTO Participation and Information Resource Centre (SALTO PI) and SALTO Inclusion and Diversity Resource Centre (SALTO ID) are hosting an online panel on Digital Rights on 7 March 2023 at 13:00 CET.

With digital rights being a crucial topic, especially for young people who spend a significant amount of time online, this panel will discuss the latest academic research on the subject and the importance of digital transformation to ensure the rights of young people online.

Digital Rights: Ensuring Human Rights Online

Digital rights are essentially human rights, but in a digital space. Each individual should have access to fundamental human rights such as the right to freedom of expression, privacy, and protection from discrimination, even when interacting online. The panel will focus on these topics, and the importance of these rights in opening up online communities, education, and work opportunities.

Who Can Participate?

This panel is ideal for:

• youth workers;
• trainers;
• educators interested in digital transformation;
• everyone interested in this topic;

The panel discussion will be live on Facebook and YouTube, making it easily accessible for everyone. In conclusion, the online panel hosted by SALTO PI and SALTO ID on March 7, 2023, is a crucial forum for discussing digital transformation and its role in safeguarding the rights of young people online. Don’t miss this opportunity, join the event!

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EU Youth Strategy | Empowerment of Young People

Guidelines for Educators: Promoting Digital Literacy in the Classroom

L'articolo Join the Online Panel on Digital Rights proviene da Youth Networks.

Digital literacy promotion and disinformation tackling are increasingly important for educators in the digital age. The Guidelines for teachers and educators on tackling disinformation and promoting digital literacy through education provide hands-on guidance for teachers and educators to achieve this goal. These guidelines provide practical tips, activity plans, insights, and cautionary notes based on effective digital literacy education and training.

Objectives of the Guidelines for Teachers and Educators

The guidelines aim to promote responsible and safe use of digital technologies, foster public awareness of disinformation, and enhance critical thinking skills in students. Moreover, they offer expertise on building trust, creating safe spaces for discussion, and enhancing students’ digital resilience.

The guidelines are designed for primary and secondary school teachers and educators in different subjects and with varying levels of experience and knowledge. They provide concrete guidance and practical support for teaching in classrooms and similar educational settings. 

Overall, the guidelines do not offer solutions to all the issues that may arise but focus on the following objectives:

1. Providing insight and knowledge about the dynamics of disinformation and credible information.
2. Fostering an understanding of how digital literacy can be achieved.
3. Sharing information on using digital technologies critically and responsibly.
4. Providing insight on how to assess students’ digital literacy competencies.

In conclusion, these guidelines support educators in preparing their students for the digital age, improving their ability to recognize disinformation and navigate the online world. By incorporating these guidelines into their teaching practices, educators can promote digital literacy and contribute to creating a more informed and engaged society. You can download the guideline for educators here, don’t miss this opportunity!

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Media and Information Literacy in EU Youth Programs

EU Youth Strategy | Empowerment of Young People

L'articolo Guidelines for Educators: Promoting Digital Literacy in the Classroom proviene da Youth Networks.

Media and Information Literacy (MIL) is a crucial component of the EU Youth Programs, particularly Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps. These programs aim to develop MIL competencies among young people and empower them through youth engagement. This article will explore the significance of MIL in EU Youth Programs and its connection to youth participation.

The Importance of MIL in EU Youth Programmes

One-third of Erasmus+ Key Actions projects focus on MIL, and the top priority for these projects is developing digital youth work. There are major gaps in MIL competencies in the areas of digital safety, ICT, and media literacy, and tackling information.

To sum up some statistics about the connection between Media and Information Literacy and EU Youth Programmes:

• 50% of Youth Participation projects focus on Media and Information Literacy (MIL), and vice versa, as critical thinking is a common transversal competence. 
• MIL is crucial for effective youth participation, particularly for disadvantaged groups, and necessary for e-participation. 
• Many projects aim to promote MIL and social inclusion. 
• Creative expression through art and media can also empower socially excluded youth and address human rights issues like hate speech.

MIL & SALTO PI

To advance MIL in the long term, better guidelines and project ideas from MIL experts and niche organisations are needed. The MIL Study Visit 2022 aims to introduce media landscape thematic area projects, develop the MIL focus of ESC Volunteering and Solidarity projects, integrate digital safety, ICT, and media literacy into KA2 projects, and promote cooperation and peace building to tackle youth radicalization.

MIL & Youth Work

When defining the quality of a project, the specific needs of different age groups are considered to be the most important factor. Young people should participate in cross-border projects as much as possible to facilitate their learning and use of critical thinking. Specialist organisations should lead MIL projects within the EU Youth Programs: especially in the areas of digital safety, ICT, and media literacy.

Finally, Media and Information Literacy is an important component of EU Youth Programs and is closely linked to youth involvement. These programmes promote the creative use of new methods of expression and critical thinking in order to provide young people with the required abilities to navigate the digital world.

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ID Talks: Understanding Mental Health in Youth Work

The European Year of Skills 2023: Empowering Youth with Soft Skills Development

L'articolo Media and Information Literacy in EU Youth Programs proviene da Youth Networks.

ID Talks, in collaboration with the Mental Health in Youth Work project, announces 2023 as the “Year of Mental Health” with two editions: “Understanding Mental Health” in the spring and “Discovering Mental Health Practices” in the autumn.

The ID Talks series consists of five individual online workshops, each lasting up to 90 minutes, featuring inspiring guest speakers and thought-provoking discussions. ID Talks focuses on mental health to promote inclusion & well-being for young people.

Let’s take a closer look at ID Talks now!

The Spring 2023 Edition

Mental health and wellbeing are at the core of European Youth Goals and the EU Youth Strategy, but a growing number of young people are expressing concern over the prevalence of mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression. The ‘Mental Health in Youth Work’ project, in partnership with SALTO Inclusion & Diversity Resources Centre, aims to raise awareness and develop mental health literacy and competences in youth workers.

ID Talks Spring 2023 offers 5 online workshops on youth mental health & well-being to improve understanding of the connection with quality youth work.

ID Talks will take place every other Wednesday at 1 PM CET from February 15 through April 12. The schedule is as follows

• 15 February: “Mental Health Explained” with guest speaker Maria Agorastou, Greece
• 1 March: “Climate-Change Anxiety” with guest speaker Anna Pribil, Austria
• 15 March: “Social-Media Addiction” with guest speaker Katja Mankinen, Sosped Fondation, Finland
• 29 March: “Supporting Young People’s Wellbeing” with guest speaker Ana Perović, Serbia
• 12 April: “Youth-Workers Wellbeing” with guest speaker Natalja Gudakovska, Latvia

Each workshop will begin with input from a guest speaker, followed by a discussion, Q&A session, and the opportunity for participants to share their own experiences. Check the Facebook event for more details.

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Public Consultation on European Qualifications Framework

The European Year of Skills 2023: Empowering Youth with Soft Skills Development

L'articolo ID Talks: Understanding Mental Health in Youth Work proviene da Youth Networks.

The green and digital transitions are offering new opportunities for people and the EU economy. Nowadays, skilled employees have better job opportunities and are more able to participate fully in society. Yet, many people are still unaware of the sector’s advancements and innovations.

To fill this gap, the European Commission has proposed 2023 as the European Year of Skills: this will be a chance to support lifelong learning, green and digital transitions. The project aims to assist companies and advance education, training, and upskilling opportunities.

The Importance of Skilled Workers

With the goal of meeting its 2030 social objectives, the European Union has launched a new initiative that will not only increase the participation of adults in training and work, but also support the achievement of the 2030 Digital Compass objectives. 

The European Year of Skills 2023 emphasises the value of soft skills in the workplace. Therefore, before discussing the EU initiatives for the European Year of Skills, it would be beneficial to familiarize oneself with the Glore Network, a platform that certifies volunteer’s soft skills.

What is Glore Network?

The GloRe platform recognizes foreign and local volunteers to be recognised for the soft skills they have gained by volunteering, through a certification, and it includes 26 e-learning courses to aid in assessing these skills. 

The GloRe Network, the platform’s parent organisation, strives to expand its reach globally and offer a flexible and reliable certification with worldwide recognition. The certification process, consisting of the Participation Certificate, GloRe Soft Skills Certificate, and Professional Statement, is available at no cost for volunteers in network organisations.

If you want to know more about the Glore Network, please visit the official website.

EU Initiatives to Support Skills Development

To improve skills development, the European Commission, in collaboration with several actors, will support:

• Increasing effective and inclusive investment in training and skill development;
• Ensure applicable skills for labour market demands through collaboration with social partners and businesses;
• Matching talents and goals with work possibilities, particularly for green and digital transitions and economic recovery;
• Attracting skills and talent from third-world nations via improving learning opportunities, mobility, and qualification recognition:

The European Year of Skills 2023 provides a chance for people all around Europe to focus on improving their technical and soft skills. Individuals can take advantage of this year’s resources and activities to invest in their futures and position themselves for success. 

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European Commission Launches Public Consultation on Europass

Forward-Looking Projects 2023: Innovative Approaches to Education and Training

L'articolo The European Year of Skills 2023: Empowering Youth with Soft Skills Development proviene da Youth Networks.

The European Commission has launched a 12-week public consultation to assess the effect and implementation of Europass, a framework that delivers online tools and information to individuals to help them with their lifelong learning and career management. 

The consultation will collect information regarding the impact of Europass on the European labour market and lifelong learning initiatives, as well as assist the Commission in improving its services.

Objective of the Public Consultation

The public feedback will help to inform the ongoing assessment of the Europass Decision between 2018 and 2022. Its major goal is to collect evidence regarding Europass’s influence on the European job market and lifelong learning policy. Participant’s feedback will assist the Commission in further improving Europass services.

Everyone can participate, including:

• Europass end-users such as learners, employees, job seekers, and volunteers;
• stakeholders such as education and training providers, employers, public employment agencies, non-governmental organisations, and policymakers;
• EU stakeholder groups and operational partners are also encouraged to contribute.

Simply fill out the online form on the Commission’s “Have your say” page to participate in the consultation. The questionnaire is available in every language spoken in the EU.

The public consultation will end on February 28, 2023.

This is a fantastic chance for anyone who have used Europass to share their experiences and offer the Commission with significative input. The consultation outcomes will help to shape Europass’s future and guarantee that it continues to suit the demands of its users. So, if you have something to say about Europass, now is your chance!

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Forward-Looking Projects 2023: Innovative Approaches to Education and Training

Publish Your Volunteering Projects For Free

L'articolo European Commission Launches Public Consultation on Europass proviene da Youth Networks.

On February 2, 2023, the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) and the European Commission will organise an online information day to discuss the Forward-Looking Projects 2023 program. The initiative’s goal is to explore, develop, test, and evaluate innovative (policy) ideas with the potential to become mainstream and enhance education and training systems.

The Forward-Looking Projects 2023 have been divided into three lots: 

• Digital education; 
• Vocational Education and Training;
• Adult learning;

Each lot has its own set of goals, and proposals must meet at least one of them. The entire budget allocated for the activity is €35,000,000.

Let’s take a closer look at these 3 areas!

Digital Education

EU’s Digital Education Action Plan aims to support high quality and inclusive digital education, focusing on three priorities: 

• education technology; 
• effective pedagogical approaches for primary and secondary education;
• teacher training to tackle disinformation and promote digital literacy.

Vocational Education and Training (VET) 

The VET plan aims to implement the principles and objectives of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, the European Skills Agenda and Council Recommendation on vocational education and training for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience. Proposals under this lot should address two priorities: 

1. micro-credentials for employability;
2. partnerships and networks to improve the attractiveness of VET;

Adult Learning

The Adult Learning lot is responsible for putting into action the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, the European Skills Agenda, and the Council Recommendation on Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults. Proposals submitted under this lot should seek to achieve one of two goals: 

• building national registers of quality-assured and relevant training options;
• supporting the Pact for Skills programme;

Conclusion

For further information on the 2023 Erasmus+ Forward-Looking Projects, please see the 2023 Erasmus+ Programme Guide, which is available in all official EU languages at the link given. More information is also available on the Funding and Tender Opportunities Portal. 

Discover more about the 2023 Erasmus+ Forward-Looking Projects at an interactive online event organised by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) and the European Commission on February 2nd, 2023 from 2:00 PM to 5:45 PM CET.

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Publish Your Volunteering Projects For Free

EWP Stats Portal: New Service to Assist Higher Education Institutions

L'articolo Forward-Looking Projects 2023: Innovative Approaches to Education and Training proviene da Youth Networks.

The EWP+ Consortium has launched a new service to assist higher education institutions in identifying which tool and provider their partners are using to connect to the Erasmus Without Paper (EWP) network. 

This programme, known as the EWP Stats Portal, aims to simplify the process of managing inter-institutional agreements (IIAs) and learning agreements (LAs) with partner institutions.

Key Features of the EWP Stats Portal

The search tool is a fundamental component of the EWP Stats Portal. IT administrators can use the institution name, Erasmus code, city, and country to find their partners. This makes it simple to determine which tool and provider a certain partner is using, which is critical for controlling document exchanges.

Another useful feature is the ability to locate a detailed list of all partners who use a specific provider. This can be useful for two reasons:

• identifying successful data transfers;
• focusing on sharing IIAs and LAs with providers where successful exchanges have occurred;

The data in the EWP Stats Portal is derived directly from the EWP registry, which is the only reliable source of information regarding EWP connections. The EWP registry extracts information from files made accessible by each node in the EWP-network. This information includes data such as the system in use and procedures covered by each EWP participant institution.

The EWP Stats Portal will be gradually expanded with data and statistics in the near future, finally providing data on how the different nodes in the network operate.

Overall, this is an excellent resource for education institutions seeking to increase document sharing and manage collaborations with other schools. It offers a reliable and simple method for determining which tool and provider their partners are using, which is critical for managing IIAs and LAs and guaranteeing successful data transfers.

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Applications open for the European Youth Capital 2026

Erasmus+ Eye-Opener Training for NEET Youth and Youth Workers

L'articolo EWP Stats Portal: New Service to Assist Higher Education Institutions proviene da Youth Networks.

The European Youth Forum has announced that applications are now open for the European Youth Capital 2026. This annual award is given to a city that demonstrates a strong commitment to the development and participation of young people in society.

Being named the European Youth Capital has a lot of benefits for a city. It may boost the city’s reputation and attract tourists and companies, while also inspiring other towns to invest in the development of their own young citizens.

Moreover, the application process also provides a chance for decision-makers and youth organisations to collaborate, discuss youth goals, and get feedback on their ideas from an expert committee.

If you think your city has enough of what it takes to become the next European Youth Capital, keep reading!

The Selection Process

The selection process is very competitive, with towns from all throughout Europe invited to apply. To be eligible for the title, communities must submit a detailed submission outlining their objectives for youth development; a team of experts will then evaluate the applications. 

More in detail, cities must submit an application together with a local youth organisation, outlining the following:

• the past performance in the youth field;
• their motivation;
• an initial plan for the year;
• and their willingness to secure the long-lasting legacy of the proposed actions.

An expert jury will select up to five short-listed candidates:  they will receive feedback and ideas on how they can improve their applications before a final winner is chosen and revealed at the European Youth Capital Award Ceremony in November 2023.

The application deadline is on 6th of February 2023; if you need more info about the application process, follow the European Youth Forum webinar that will take place on Tuesday 10 January 2023.

Conclusion

Since 2009, the European Youth Capital title has brought communities together by creating friendly city environments for young people. This title can be a great chance for towns to demonstrate their commitment to young people and inspire other cities to follow their example. Don’t miss the opportunity to apply!

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The EYP History Book is Now Available

The Charter on Youth and Democracy

L'articolo Applications open for the European Youth Capital 2026 proviene da Youth Networks.

The European Youth Forum, an organisation that represents over 25 million young people in Europe, in 2022 developed the Charter on Youth and Democracy: a document that outlines the rights and responsibilities of young people in democratic societies. 

The Charter on Youth and Democracy is a detailed document that addresses various topics related to young people’s involvement in democracy, such as:

• the right to vote;
• the freedom of speech and assembly;
• the access to information:

The Charter highlights the necessity of young engagement in decision-making and encourages the development of structures and procedures to facilitate youth participation.

Let’s take a closer look at this document!

The Importance of Youth Participation

Youth participation makes a significant impact on the functioning of a healthy democracy. Through that, young people can have a say in the decisions that affect their lives; moreover, it ensures that the needs and perspective of young people are taken into consideration.

In this scenario, representatives from youth organisations and young elected from around the EU co-created the Charter in a bottom-up approach. It has 49 recommendations organised into four categories:

1 Education, collaboration, and information;

2 Empowerment, leadership, and democratic involvement of youth;

3 The Impact of New Technologies and Digitalization;

4 Youth policy inclusion and political representation;

But how can this document lead to a concrete outcome? Keep reading to find out!

The Role of Governments and Civil Society in Youth Participation

The importance of this document lies in its ability to require governments to take specific actions to support and encourage youth participation. To make youth participation a concrete outcome, governments can move in two directions. 

On one hand, providing young people with the necessary information, resources, and support to enable them to participate in the democratic process. Alternatively, governments can also create opportunities for young people to get involved in decision-making processes at the local, national, and international levels.

Governments are not the only ones having a key-role in this context: civil society organizations, like youth organizations and NGOs, also have an important role to play in promoting youth participation in democracy. These organisations provide young people with the necessary skills, knowledge, and support to become active citizens. 

Conclusion

The Charter on Youth and Democracy is an important document that recognizes the vital role that young people play in democratic societies. It promotes the empowerment of young people to engage in democracy and make choices that affect their lives.

For more information, you can read the charter on Youth and Democracy here.

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Dialogue with Young People on Energy, Inflation, and Conflict

European Solidarity Corps Proposals 2023 with €142 Million in Funding

L'articolo The Charter on Youth and Democracy proviene da Youth Networks.