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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
How do we know if digital youth work is meaningful, impactful, and worth scaling up?
Quality assessment is not about ticking boxes or chasing numbers, it is about listening, reflecting, and improving. Young people must have a say in defining what quality means to them. This activity introduces practical tools and reflective practices to help youth workers, managers, and young people assess and improve the quality of digital youth work.
By completing this activity, participants will:
- Recognise that quality in digital youth work can mean different things in different contexts.
- Learn how to collect feedback and evidence of impact in structured ways.
- Understand the importance of negotiation, long-term strategy, and systemic development in quality work.
- Explore tools for self-assessment at both individual and organisational levels.
- Identify concrete improvement actions that strengthen digital youth work practice.
Get Inspired
Start from watching Michele Di Paola’s expert input on Quality Assessment of Digital Youth Work. Some key take-aways:
- Digital youth work does not exist in a void.
- Young people should always have a say.
- Different contexts require different tools
- Numbers are not enough - growth, scale, and quality must be discussed together.
- Quality assessment is a process requiring readiness for systemic development
In another video, Andreas Karsten from Think & Do Tank Youth Policy Labs shared many insightful reflections about digital youth work:
work and activities they carry on to develop digital youth work
- Reasons for investing into digital youth work and what is exciting about this field of work.
- Suggestions for what youth workers should pay attention to when developing digital youth work practices.
- Ideas for evaluating the quality of digital youth work and examples of impactful practices.
- Perspective on how digital youth work practices can go hand in hand with policy developments.
- Recommendations on how youth workers can develop digital youth work practices.
Other inspiring resources:
- European Guidelines for Digital Youth Work highlight the need for reflection and quality assurance as essential for innovation and inclusion.
- The Assessment Tool for Digital Competences in Youth Work (DYW SNAC, 2023) supports individual reflection for youth workers.
- The Assessment Tool on Digital Capacities of Youth Work Organisations offers structured methods to evaluate organisational readiness for digital transformation
- RAY-DIGI research shows that successful digital youth work often involves ongoing evaluation and shared learning.
Take Action: activities for different roles
Explore the following role-specific badges to access activities focused on quality and assessment in digital youth work within the organisation. Navigate to a specific badge and complete activities as a youth worker and youth work manager. Involve young people in expressing what quality means to them and assessing digital youth work.
- Youth workers can facilitate a workshop with young people who can share what quality means to them by co-creating a “quality wall” and posting creative digital feedback (video, meme, poll).
- Youth workers can reflect with peers on successes and challenges in your digital practice, then complete the Digital Competence Self-Assessment Tool and set one improvement goal.
- Youth work managers can review your organisation’s strategy with staff to identify where digital quality is addressed, then use the Organisational Digital Capacity Assessment Tool to plan one systemic improvement.
Claim Open Badge Recognition
Earn the “Quality Assessor of Digital Youth Work” badge by completing the tasks:
- Young people: contribute meaningful feedback on digital youth work.
- Youth workers: complete a competence self-assessment and define one improvement action.
- Managers: conduct an organisational review and set a systemic improvement goal.
Who created this resource?
This activity is based on the expert input during the blended course on developing digital youth work strategies (visit activity) and the expert interview for the Massive Open Online Course on Digital Youth Work (watch Youtube channel).
The Cities of Learning Network members used the above resources to create activities supporting digital youth work developments:
- Awero, Lithuania (Project Lead)
- Breakthrough Foundation, Netherlands
- Curaçao Innovation & Technology Institute (CITI)
- TiPovej! Zavod - Institute for Creative Society, Slovenia
Next Steps: Introduce a regular cycle of feedback collection (both digital and analog). Organise peer-learning sessions to share self-assessment results and improvement goals. Experiment with “daring to fail” - pilot new digital elements, analyse results, and adapt. Integrate quality assessment into annual strategic reviews.
Get activity badge
Quality Assessment of Digital Youth Work Get this badge
How do we know if digital youth work is meaningful, impactful, and worth scaling up?
Quality assessment is not about ticking boxes or chasing numbers, it is about listening, reflecting, and improving. Young people must have a say in defining what quality means to them. This activity introduces practical tools and reflective practices to help youth workers, managers, and young people assess and improve the quality of digital youth work.
By completing this activity, participants will:
- Recognise that quality in digital youth work can mean different things in different contexts.
- Learn how to collect feedback and evidence of impact in structured ways.
- Understand the importance of negotiation, long-term strategy, and systemic development in quality work.
- Explore tools for self-assessment at both individual and organisational levels.
- Identify concrete improvement actions that strengthen digital youth work practice.
Get Inspired
Start from watching Michele Di Paola’s expert input on Quality Assessment of Digital Youth Work. Some key take-aways:
- Digital youth work does not exist in a void.
- Young people should always have a say.
- Different contexts require different tools
- Numbers are not enough - growth, scale, and quality must be discussed together.
- Quality assessment is a process requiring readiness for systemic development
In another video, Andreas Karsten from Think & Do Tank Youth Policy Labs shared many insightful reflections about digital youth work:
work and activities they carry on to develop digital youth work
- Reasons for investing into digital youth work and what is exciting about this field of work.
- Suggestions for what youth workers should pay attention to when developing digital youth work practices.
- Ideas for evaluating the quality of digital youth work and examples of impactful practices.
- Perspective on how digital youth work practices can go hand in hand with policy developments.
- Recommendations on how youth workers can develop digital youth work practices.
Other inspiring resources:
- European Guidelines for Digital Youth Work highlight the need for reflection and quality assurance as essential for innovation and inclusion.
- The Assessment Tool for Digital Competences in Youth Work (DYW SNAC, 2023) supports individual reflection for youth workers.
- The Assessment Tool on Digital Capacities of Youth Work Organisations offers structured methods to evaluate organisational readiness for digital transformation
- RAY-DIGI research shows that successful digital youth work often involves ongoing evaluation and shared learning.
Take Action: activities for different roles
Explore the following role-specific badges to access activities focused on quality and assessment in digital youth work within the organisation. Navigate to a specific badge and complete activities as a youth worker and youth work manager. Involve young people in expressing what quality means to them and assessing digital youth work.
- Youth workers can facilitate a workshop with young people who can share what quality means to them by co-creating a “quality wall” and posting creative digital feedback (video, meme, poll).
- Youth workers can reflect with peers on successes and challenges in your digital practice, then complete the Digital Competence Self-Assessment Tool and set one improvement goal.
- Youth work managers can review your organisation’s strategy with staff to identify where digital quality is addressed, then use the Organisational Digital Capacity Assessment Tool to plan one systemic improvement.
Claim Open Badge Recognition
Earn the “Quality Assessor of Digital Youth Work” badge by completing the tasks:
- Young people: contribute meaningful feedback on digital youth work.
- Youth workers: complete a competence self-assessment and define one improvement action.
- Managers: conduct an organisational review and set a systemic improvement goal.
Who created this resource?
This activity is based on the expert input during the blended course on developing digital youth work strategies (visit activity) and the expert interview for the Massive Open Online Course on Digital Youth Work (watch Youtube channel).
The Cities of Learning Network members used the above resources to create activities supporting digital youth work developments:
- Awero, Lithuania (Project Lead)
- Breakthrough Foundation, Netherlands
- Curaçao Innovation & Technology Institute (CITI)
- TiPovej! Zavod - Institute for Creative Society, Slovenia
Next Steps: Introduce a regular cycle of feedback collection (both digital and analog). Organise peer-learning sessions to share self-assessment results and improvement goals. Experiment with “daring to fail” - pilot new digital elements, analyse results, and adapt. Integrate quality assessment into annual strategic reviews.
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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