We initiated the project by conducting a comprehensive country analysis, laying the foundation for our project. During this process, we identified noteworthy practices and successful elements that served as valuable inspiration for our work.
Examples of best practices are the innovative approach to designing an educational Escape Room in a Mural, the Young Ambassadors initiative from the Ljubljana City of Learning platform, which had shown long-term engagement, the Czechitas movement, which had focused on fostering inclusivity within the IT sector, addressing not only the local context but also contributing to global efforts in bridging the gender gap. Further examples of inspiring practices include the online youth center Legebitra, the youth activities organized by the Juventud de Cabra department, and the online meetings of the “This game of my memories” project conducted on GatherTown. What makes them so special?
Inclusive Approaches
Online youth work practices offer enhanced accessibility by reaching young people who may face mobility challenges or reside in remote areas. They improve meeting productivity, facilitate international communication, and provide increased privacy and anonymity. Additionally, events conducted online are closer to the digital-native youth, allowing for immediate responses and enabling contact with individuals who may avoid in-person social interactions due to anxiety or phobias.
Engaging Activities and Collaborative Design
The elements that have worked the most in the aforementioned good practices were delivering warm-ups and icebreakers, having active coffee breaks with music, encouraging the use of cameras, and involving physical movement activities. It was also noticed that when international and local work is intertwined, the results are more sustainable.
When participants could co-design the program, they got much more active and involved. Activities were found to be more engaging when graphic facilitation support, online competitions, virtual escape rooms, and a combination of online and offline tasks were present. But at the end of the day, we shouldn’t forget that we need to foster connection and put it before content.
You can access the comprehensive analysis in the PDF document.
Images: DALL-E from Open AI
