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Pathway to developing digital competencies for youth work
Pathway to developing digital competencies for youth work
Content
This playlist is designed to strengthen the digital competencies of youth workers, managers, and organisations aiming to enhance the quality and impact of their digital youth work.
Through five interconnected activities, you will explore how to build the skills, mindsets, and leadership capacities needed to adapt to the digital transformation in youth work.
Starting with the development of your digital competencies and capacities, you will learn the essentials of using technology meaningfully and strategically in your practice. The next activity will help you understand the digital infrastructure needed to support effective and sustainable digital youth work within your organisation.
As digital transformation requires not only skills but also the right attitudes, you will reflect on building a broad-minded and transformational working culture that embraces innovation and collaboration. Moving forward, you will explore the principles of digital leadership, learning how to guide and inspire others towards successful change.
Finally, you will engage with quality assessment of digital youth work, ensuring that your efforts lead to meaningful, measurable, and lasting impact for young people and organisations.
By completing this playlist, you will gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to integrate digital tools, strategies, and leadership practices into youth work development, supporting both individual growth and organisational transformation.
Claim open badge recognition.
By completing this activity and earning the related badges, you will qualify for the Digital Competencies for Youth Work Development badge. The badge will confirm your understanding of digital transformation in youth work and your ability to apply digital strategies, leadership practices, and quality standards in your organisation’s context.
The badge can be added to your CV, LinkedIn profile, or portfolio, giving visibility to your competencies and commitment to innovation in youth work.
Who created this resource?
This meta-activity has been developed by the Digital Youth Work partnership and Cities of Learning partners, based on resources available through www.digitalyouthwork.net.
- Awero, Lithuania (Project Lead)
- Breakthrough Foundation, Netherlands
- Curaçao Innovation & Technology Institute (CITI)
- TiPovej! Zavod - Institute for Creative Society, Slovenia
Next steps:
- Apply your new digital competencies in youth work projects and share results with your organisation or peers.
- Use the meta badge as evidence of skills in CVs, portfolios, or Erasmus+ / ESC project applications.
- Join the Digital Youth Work community to exchange practices and continue learning with peers across Europe.
Activities to complete
Complete the following activities, earn badges and you will see your playlist progress updated
Content
This activity invites youth workers, youth work managers, and youth organisations to explore what it takes to create a broad-minded and transformational working culture.
The activity draws on insights from the Digital competences and digital capacities, European Report 2022 and the development of a framework dedicated to the digital transformation of youth work organisations: Digital capacities of youth work organisations. Broad-minded and transformational working culture is one of the 5 competences named in this framework.
By completing this activity, you will:
- Understand what a broad-minded and transformational working culture entails and its importance for effective youth work, especially in the digital realm.
- Reflect on your current practices and identify opportunities for fostering a more inclusive and belonging-oriented environment within your organisation.
Get inspired
Building a thriving culture: Where every young person, youth worker, and manager truly belongs – In every space, online and off!
Sometimes you just click with a group, right? You feel valued, understood, and like you're part of something bigger. That's the magic we're aiming for in our youth work organizations – a truly broad-minded and transformational working culture where everyone, from the young people we serve to every single youth worker and manager, feels like they absolutely belong. And in today's world, that belonging needs to extend seamlessly across all the spaces where young people live, learn, and connect – including the digital realm.
We've all heard stories, or maybe even experienced it ourselves, where people feel disconnected, undervalued, or just not quite in sync with their workplace. It's like that song Taylor Swift sings – you want to be with the one who truly appreciates you! And it's not just about good vibes (though those are super important!). When people feel a sense of belonging, purpose, and connectivity, our work thrives. Disengagement costs us so much – not just in numbers, but in lost opportunities to truly make a difference in young people's lives, both in person and in their ever-present digital worlds. An inclusive culture isn't a "nice-to-have" anymore; it's the engine that drives us forward, helps us solve complex problems, and keeps everyone passionate and engaged, whether we're in a youth center or on Discord.So, how do we make this happen, especially as youth work increasingly embraces its digital dimension? It’s not about doing things the same old way. It's a journey, a movement, and it needs all of us to be on board!
Gain practical insights and actionable steps tailored to your role (youth worker, youth work manager, or young person) to contribute to this cultural shift.
Take action: activities for different roles
Explore these role-specific entry points to build a thriving, digitally-inclusive culture in your youth work context:
- Youth workers can model desired digital behaviours, foster young people's ownership in digital activities, introduce new digital program designs, leverage digital networks for peer influence, and ensure their own digital well-being through supportive organisational cultures.
- Youth work managers can articulate a clear digital vision, invest in staff digital capability, empower digital adoption, embed new digital norms, identify and champion digitally adept staff, and prioritise staff digital well-being.
- Young people can show staff the way in online spaces, voluntarily enrol in digital engagement opportunities, shake things up with digital innovation, act as digital influencers, and advocate for their personal digital well-being.
Claim open badge recognition
Upon completing this activity, participants can earn badges that recognise:
- Their commitment to fostering broad-minded and transformational working cultures in youth work.
- Their understanding and application of concepts related to digital competences and capacities in youth work organisations.
- Their active participation and contribution to building inclusive and belonging-oriented environments for young people and youth workers.
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 assess your organisation's readiness for a broad-minded and transformational working culture. Identify areas where you can invest in fostering a sense of belonging, promoting inclusivity, and empowering all staff and young people.
Start internal conversations around allocating resources for cultural development initiatives, providing staff training on inclusive practices, and establishing mechanisms for continuous feedback and adaptation. Look for ways to connect your efforts with broader national and EU-level strategies for youth empowerment and social inclusion. By doing so, you'll contribute to a more equitable, sustainable, and secure future where every young person truly belongs.
Resources
Get activity badge
Broad-minded and transformational working culture Get this badge
This activity invites youth workers, youth work managers, and youth organisations to explore what it takes to create a broad-minded and transformational working culture.
The activity draws on insights from the:
By completing this activity, you will:
Get inspired
Building a thriving culture: Where every young person, youth worker, and manager truly belongs – In every space, online and off!
Sometimes you just click with a group, right? You feel valued, understood, and like you're part of something bigger. That's the magic we're aiming for in our youth work organizations – a truly broad-minded and transformational working culture where everyone, from the young people we serve to every single youth worker and manager, feels like they absolutely belong. And in today's world, that belonging needs to extend seamlessly across all the spaces where young people live, learn, and connect – including the digital realm.
We've all heard stories, or maybe even experienced it ourselves, where people feel disconnected, undervalued, or just not quite in sync with their workplace. It's like that song Taylor Swift sings – you want to be with the one who truly appreciates you! And it's not just about good vibes (though those are super important!). When people feel a sense of belonging, purpose, and connectivity, our work thrives. Disengagement costs us so much – not just in numbers, but in lost opportunities to truly make a difference in young people's lives, both in person and in their ever-present digital worlds. An inclusive culture isn't a "nice-to-have" anymore; it's the engine that drives us forward, helps us solve complex problems, and keeps everyone passionate and engaged, whether we're in a youth center or on Discord.So, how do we make this happen, especially as youth work increasingly embraces its digital dimension? It’s not about doing things the same old way. It's a journey, a movement, and it needs all of us to be on board!
The European Commission, alongside youth work researchers, calls for:
Why are we addressing
Take action: activities for different roles
Explore these role-specific entry points to build a thriving, digitally-inclusive culture in your youth work context:
- Youth workers can model desired digital behaviours, foster young people's ownership in digital activities, introduce new digital program designs, leverage digital networks for peer influence, and ensure their own digital well-being through supportive organisational cultures.
- Youth work managers can articulate a clear digital vision, invest in staff digital capability, empower digital adoption, embed new digital norms, identify and champion digitally adept staff, and prioritise staff digital well-being.
- Young people can show staff the way in online spaces, voluntarily enrol in digital engagement opportunities, shake things up with digital innovation, act as digital influencers, and advocate for their personal digital well-being.
Claim open badge recognition
Upon completing this activity, participants can earn badges that recognise:
- Awareness of digital infrastructure as a foundation for digital youth work
- Advocacy for equitable access to digital tools and safe online environments
- Contributions to long-term strategic planning for digital transformation
- Commitment to youth-centred, inclusive digital systems
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 assess your organisation's readiness for a broad-minded and transformational working culture. Identify areas where you can invest in fostering a sense of belonging, promoting inclusivity, and empowering all staff and young people.
Start internal conversations around allocating resources for cultural development initiatives, providing staff training on inclusive practices, and establishing mechanisms for continuous feedback and adaptation. Look for ways to connect your efforts with broader national and EU-level strategies for youth empowerment and social inclusion. By doing so, you'll contribute to a more equitable, sustainable, and secure future where every young person truly belongs.
Tasks
Task no.1
Issued by organiser or scanning QR code
Participate in activity
Skills
#Excellent Level. Runs digital youth work activities that are based on the guidelines of organisation, the ideas of young people, and on the principles set by the national and European organisations.
#Excellent Level. Constantly assess, together with young people and/or other youth workers on the quality of the digital work and reflects what has been learned; as an intentional process part of the digital youth work strategy.
#Excellent Level. Implements a process, designed with organisation, through which assess together with young people the individual and organisational priorities/needs connected to digital transformation.
#Excellent Level. Shares practices, as a member of a network, which meets regularly and aims at developing digital youth work.
#Excellent Level. Develops an ability to kick-off an innovative spirit in digital youth work activities; intentionally updates competences in the field, and is aware of trends but also policies in the field.
#Excellent Level. Confident in using a diversity of digital tools and platforms to support youth work and deliver youth work services. (e.g. advanced technological equipment, digital cameras or software, AI tools)
#Excellent Level. Supports young people and other youth workers to set goals for meaningful digital youth work, assess them and reflect jointly on the outcomes.
#Excellent Level. Empowers youth groups to use their critical thinking and imagination in order to discuss the ethical implications and find solutions to issues such as profiling, algorithmic filtering or algorithmic bias.
#Excellent Level. Supports young people to assess their learnings after running their digital rights activities, and identify new ways of how to address them.
#Excellent Level. Creates different types of digital content and knows how to support others in similar processes (eg. podcasts; videos)
#Good Level. Sets with young people learning objectives for digital youth work.
#Excellent Level. Engages young people on equal footing in the planning, running and evaluation of digital activities; they are an integral part of the strategic approach to digital transformation.
#Excellent Level. Implements a process, designed with organisation, through which assess together with young people the individual and organisational priorities/needs connected to digital transformation.
#Excellent Level. Confident in using a diversity of digital tools and platforms to support youth work and deliver youth work services. (e.g. advanced technological equipment, digital cameras or software, AI tools)
#Excellent Level. Supports young people to assess their learnings after running their digital rights activities, and identify new ways of how to address them.
#Good Level. Ensures that young people with fewer opportunities have participated in digital learning activities, such as thematic events, problem-solving, producing their own content, or vlogs.
#Excellent Level. Shares practices, as a member of a network, which meets regularly and aims at developing digital youth work.
#Excellent Level. Supports young people and other youth workers to set goals for meaningful digital youth work, assess them and reflect jointly on the outcomes.
#Fair Level. Supports young people to learn social skills through participation in digital communities, such as discussion groups, life-style sites, vlogs or gaming.
#Excellent Level. Supports young people to assess their learnings after running their digital rights activities, and identify new ways of how to address them.
#Excellent Level. Supports young people and other youth workers to set goals for meaningful digital youth work, assess them and reflect jointly on the outcomes.
#Excellent Level. Shares practices, as a member of a network, which meets regularly and aims at developing digital youth work.
#Excellent Level. Empowers youth groups to use their critical thinking and imagination in order to discuss the ethical implications and find solutions to issues such as profiling, algorithmic filtering or algorithmic bias.
#Excellent Level. Supports young people to create their communities, based on pre-set learning objectives, while reflecting on the results.
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
#Excellent Level. Develops an ability to kick-off an innovative spirit in digital youth work activities; intentionally updates competences in the field, and is aware of trends but also policies in the field.
#Excellent Level. Runs digital youth work activities that are based on the guidelines of organisation, the ideas of young people, and on the principles set by the national and European organisations.
#Excellent Level. Engages young people on equal footing in the planning, running and evaluation of digital activities; they are an integral part of the strategic approach to digital transformation.
#Excellent Level. Supports young people to assess their learnings after running their digital rights activities, and identify new ways of how to address them.
#Good Level. Ensures that young people with fewer opportunities have participated in digital learning activities, such as thematic events, problem-solving, producing their own content, or vlogs.
#Excellent Level. Confident in using a diversity of digital tools and platforms to support youth work and deliver youth work services. (e.g. advanced technological equipment, digital cameras or software, AI tools)
#Excellent Level. Shares practices, as a member of a network, which meets regularly and aims at developing digital youth work.
#Excellent Level. Supports young people and other youth workers to set goals for meaningful digital youth work, assess them and reflect jointly on the outcomes.
#Fair Level. Askes young people to critically assess the practices of the youth work offering.
#Fair Level. Engages young people in critical reflection of their online experiences - what they finally feel they have learned from the various experiences.
#Excellent Level. Engages young people on equal footing in the planning, running and evaluation of digital activities; they are an integral part of the strategic approach to digital transformation.
#Excellent Level. Shares practices, as a member of a network, which meets regularly and aims at developing digital youth work.
#Excellent Level. Constantly assess, together with young people and/or other youth workers on the quality of the digital work and reflects what has been learned; as an intentional process part of the digital youth work strategy.
#Excellent Level. Implements a process, designed with organisation, through which assess together with young people the individual and organisational priorities/needs connected to digital transformation.
#Good Level. Plans and implements multiple digital youth work activities, using a diversity of digital tools
#Fair Level. Askes young people to critically assess the practices of the youth work offering.
#Excellent Level. Supports young people and other youth workers to set goals for meaningful digital youth work, assess them and reflect jointly on the outcomes.
Activities: 5
Started: 3
Completed playlist: 0
Time to complete: 3 hours
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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.
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