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Leading for change: Understanding successful Digital Leadership
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 5:00 PM
Leading for change: Understanding successful Digital Leadership
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 5:00 PM
Content
This activity invites youth workers, youth work managers, and organisations to explore what it means to lead digital change in a way that builds confidence, embraces innovation, and creates immersive, inclusive learning environments.
Leadership in digital youth work means more than adopting tools — it means creating the right mindset, culture, and infrastructure for long-term transformation, especially in a world where attention is fleeting and technology is constantly evolving.
The activity draws on insights from the:
- European Commission’s Digital Education Action Plan - see document HERE
- Youth workers 2.0 - A guide to digital Education for youth workers - see document HERE
- Ray Digi research report on Exploring successful approaches to digital youth work - see document HERE
It also relates to global trends in digital transformation and youth work research that identifies infrastructure, funding, and skilled professionals as critical enablers for successful digital youth work.
By completing this activity, you will:
- Understand the role of leadership in digital youth work transformation
- Recognise the barriers to digital adoption in youth work settings — and strategies to overcome them.
- Reflect on your own leadership and how you can help others move from fear to curiosity in digital environments.
- Identify practical actions that support inclusive, ethical, and engaging digital practices.
- Reflect on how digital tools and immersive technologies can enhance engagement and inclusion.
- Explore the role of leadership in creating psychologically safe environments for digital learning and experimentation.
Get inspired
Leading digital transition doesn’t mean being a tech expert — it means:
- Creating safe spaces to explore and experiment with digital tools;
- Asking “why” before “how” when introducing new technologies;
- Listening to fears and supporting learning instead of pushing adoption;
- Building shared purpose and digital confidence across the team;
- Choosing tools that add value, not just those that are trendy.
It also means recognising and addressing the Wisdom Gap — the space between access to digital knowledge and the ability to apply it thoughtfully. In a fast-moving tech landscape, digital leaders must help their teams move beyond knowing how tools work to understanding when, why, and for whom they should be used. Wisdom in digital leadership means slowing down when needed, making ethical choices, and centering people in every decision.
Ultimately, digital leadership in youth work is about empowering people, not just adopting platforms. It's about transforming how we connect, learn, and create together in the digital age — and ensuring no one is left behind.
Why are we addressing Leadership as a key element of Digital Youth Work?
In digital youth work, leaders set the tone — if they model openness, learning, and reflection, their teams are more likely to do the same.
Leadership is what turns access into action. It guides teams through uncertainty, encourages responsible experimentation, and ensures digital practices are aligned with purpose — not trends. Whether it's introducing immersive learning technologies like AR/VR, shifting to hybrid models, or adapting to new demands in digital citizenship, engaged and informed leadership is essential.
The RAY-Digi research and the Youth Workers 2.0 Guide both highlight that:
- Digital transformation requires not just technology, but leadership and mindset change.
- Teams are more likely to embrace new tools when they feel supported, not judged.
- Leaders set the tone for ethical use, inclusion, and continued learning.
Effective digital leadership involves:
- Listening to team fears and hopes around digital work;
- Modeling curiosity and openness rather than perfection;
- Creating safe learning spaces for staff and youth;
- Linking digital change to real-life impact, especially for young people in under-resourced communities.
Leadership, when done well, amplifies capacity, reduces resistance, and creates momentum for digital youth work to thrive — today and in the future.
Why does it matter for Youthwork?
As youth work increasingly moves into digital and hybrid spaces, the role of leadership becomes essential to making these transitions inclusive, meaningful, and future-ready. It is not enough to introduce new tools or platforms — we need leaders who can inspire, guide, and support others through the changes.
Digital leadership matters because:
- Young people are already immersed in digital environments. To stay relevant, youth work must engage them where they are — safely, creatively, and ethically.
- Fear and uncertainty around digital tools still exist among youth workers and managers. Strong leadership helps reduce resistance, increase curiosity, and build digital confidence.
- Immersive learning environments like VR, AR, and AI-enabled platforms offer new ways to engage youth — but only when leaders understand their value and can align them with real learning needs.
- Equity and inclusion in digital spaces require intentional planning. Leaders must ensure fair and safe access to meaningful digital learning experiences.
- The shift in educator roles from instructor to facilitator requires leaders who can model and support this transition.
Claim open badge recognition
Upon completing this activity, participants can earn badges that recognise:
- Awareness of leadership as a driving force for digital transformation in youth work
- Advocacy for inclusive, confident, and purposeful use of digital tools
- Contributions to building team culture that supports experimentation and digital confidence
- Commitment to guiding youth work through ethical, future-focused digital change
Who created this resource?
This activity was developed by members of Digital Systemic partnership within the Cities of Learning Network, in response to the insights from the field of digital youth work policy and practice. It builds on the understanding that effective digital youth work depends on more than just tools — it requires infrastructure, skilled professionals, and strategic investment.
Contributors include:
- TiPovej! Institute – Slovenia
- Breakthrough Foundation – Netherlands
- Awero – Lithuania
- Curaçao Innovation & Technology Institute – Curaçao
Next steps: Use this activity to start strategic conversations about immersive learning, digital access, and future skills in your organisation. Build momentum by combining this badge with others on infrastructure, quality, and innovation — and help shape youth work that’s ready for the future.
Resources
Get activity badge
Digital transformation Leader Get this badge
This badge recognises your active engagement in exploring what it means to lead digital transformation in youth work. Whether you're a young person, youth worker, or manager, you’ve reflected on how leadership, mindset, and inclusive practices can shape meaningful digital experiences for all.
You have to finish 2 tasks to get the badge
Tasks
Task no.1
Evidence verified by: one activity organiser
Reflect on a key insight or “aha moment” from the activity and share how it connects to your role or context.
Task no.2
Evidence verified by: one activity organiser
Identify one personal or organisational action you can take to lead or support digital change.
Task no.3
Evidence verified by: one activity organiser
Describe what “ethical, inclusive, and purposeful” digital leadership means to you.
Skills
ETS-TR
#Applies digital technologies, tools and e-learning where necessary/relevant in planning, designing, delivering and evaluating activities
ETS-TR
#Promotes reflection on the specific policies (or lack of policies) related to the digital transformation of many aspects of people’s lives
ETS-TR
#Works with the notion of change and overcomes resistance within the group of learners
ESCO
#adapt styles of leadership
ESCO
#principles of leadership
Organisers
Digital Youth Work Resource Hub
Awero not-for-profit organisation manages this platform and develops it together with leading educational organisations. The European Union's programme Erasmus+ granted co-funding for building the first version of this platform. Contact support@awero.org.
Platform
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