DigiSMARTS

We are helping for young people to not only have good digital skills, but to be able to apply these to engage with citizenship, democracy and social change, to become influencers and activists, skilled-up and ready to shape the future.

DigiSMARTS, addresses the priority of supporting youth workers through providing online open access, free, educational resources, taking them through the steps required to run a successful online activism project, working with youth in co-producing change in an area such as environmental concerns, employment and skills, crime levels or social inclusion/equality issues.

Digital activism, also known as cyberactivism, is a form of activity that uses the Internet and digital media as key platforms for mobilisation and political action.

Learning digital activism skills is to learn to engage and participate with vital issues of the day, having the potential and competencies to have impact and creating positive change. Indeed, Unicef Ireland argue that, ‘the online world has become a powerful resource for youth activism, enabling the sharing of knowledge, amplifying of messages and organising of shared actions’.

Moreover, Covid-19 has shown how crucial online skills, engagement and participation are for a host of excluded young people. This five-country project, will build a digital skill resource, bringing together Universities, NGOs and youth organisations in a constellation of expertise, with the shared aim of innovating around this area.