Digital Youth Work Center is proactively using and addressing digital media and technology in youth work.

We take digital  youth  work  not  as a  just as youth  work  method  but rather as a medium in  any  youth  work  setting  - open  youth  work,  youth  information  and  counselling,  youth  clubs,  detached  youth  work,  ect.   

Digital youth work is underpinned by the same ethics, values and principles as youth work. 

​​Context

European Guidelines for Digital Youth Work

The EU YOUTH STRATEGY 2019-2027 Youth goals include aspects of digital inclusion & accessibility, information literacy, new digital forms of participation. The European Guidelines for Digital Youth Work have been designed to clearly define Digital Youth Work, its impact and the value of youth work as an important educational practice which can empower young people in a digitalising society. The guidelines give practical and ethical guidance to youth workers, managers and organisations. They also include a call to action for funders and policy makers for the youth work sector, outlining steps they can take to enable the development of digital youth work for all young people. An especially important role for youth work involves preventing a digital divide between young people, by ensuring that they have a more equal access to digital technology, and by enhancing their technology-related skills.

CoVid19 Pandemic

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During the Covid19 crisis, new needs for digital tools for youth work emerged.

The CoVid19 pandemic induced an accelerated use of digital technology among young people and youth workers. The 3rd European Youth Work Convention, 2020 pointed out that the Pandemic has brought about both positive and negative changes to digital youth participation and youth work. 

On one hand, the European youth workers’ response to COVID-19 restrictions has revealed incredible amounts of creativity, solidarity and resilience in the youth work sector and we are now witnessing how digital youth workers from all over Europe are empowering those less experienced to test, use and play with digital technologies in their practice. 

On the other hand, some of the challenges associated with youth workers and young people’s digital inclusion, accessibility, surveillance, privacy, and digital literacy. European research showed that both youth workers and young people require additional and sustainable support to make informed choices as digital citizens. Many of these problems have also surfaced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Aims of the Digital Youth Work Center

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​​We seek to  upskill  youth  workers’  digital  competences, adding to the most traditional key competences already set for youth work, such as non-­‐formal learning, management of mobility and volunteering projects and facilitation skills. We work on the  development, piloting and implementation of  different  useful  digital  tools  for  youth  workers in Ireland and in Europe.

​​On the other hand, the DYWC creates learning pathways for youth toward digital careers. We work with educators and industry to create opportunities that support youth toward digital skills development. Our integrated digital skills training programs and experiential learning opportunities in and out of the classroom are designed to broaden the view young people have of technology and the role it can play in almost everything we do.

Format

We deliver digital youth work either in face-to-face situations as well as in online environments – or in a mixture of these two. We use digital media and technology either as a tool, an activity or a content in youth work. 

Uskilling areas for youth workers for high quality digital youth work:

• • Using Social Media in Sharing Information
• • Online Youth Counselling
• • Support Digital Literacy
• • Enabling Participation with Digital Tools
• • Supporting Cultural Youth Work online
• • Supporting the development of technological skills
• • Using Digital Games in Youth Work
  

In our efforts to further develop new and more adequate programs

and  training courses, we dedicate our efforts to:

• Building capacity and modernising youth work in Ireland and in Europe
• Creative methods and innovative training opportunities to build young people’s key competences 
• Strategic  and  integrated  use  of  ICTs  and  open  educational  resources  in  education, training and youth work
• Learn from European and global good practices in digital youth work
  
• Promote creative approaches to building on the competencies of youth workers across Europe
• Increase the opportunities for youth workers’ professional development by building on the staff competencies, validating learning, encouraging active citizenship of young people
• Promote understanding and recognition of skills and qualifications about youth work in Europe
• Increase  quality  of  education  and  training  and  youth  work  in  Europe  and  beyond:  combining higher levels of excellence and attractiveness with increased opportunities for all.
  
• ​Creates learning pathways for youth toward digital careers. 
  
• Collaborate with educators and industry to create opportunities that support youth toward digital skills development.