21
Digital Rights
Digital Rights
Content
Young people are online every day, meaning they actively exercise their digital rights while also being vulnerable to their violation. In this playlist, you will learn how to support and protect young people in the digital world.
Digital youth work plays a crucial role in promoting respect for these rights and raising awareness of the associated risks. We will look at the ethical frameworks and practical steps you can take to create a safe digital environment for and with young people. This forms the basis for trust in online relationships.
Key Focus Areas in this Playlist:
- Viewing digital rights as an opportunity within youth work (C3.1).
- Awareness-raising on young people’s digital rights and their risks (C3.2).
- Supporting digital safety and resilience (C3.3).
About the Digital Competence Check
This playlist is directly linked to Competence Area 3 of the Digital Competence Check Digital rights, which is based on the European DYW SNAC Model. The Check covers 5 areas, 14 specific competences, and 38 indicators, helping you to map your starting proficiency level. By following this playlist, you will specifically target and improve the skills identified as areas for development.
This playlist features activities from the platform, all directly connected to this competence area. It is up to you to decide which activities are the most interesting and relevant for your professional development.
Within each activity, you will find four different badges. One badge is specifically intended for the Youth Worker. There are also badges for the Youth Worker's Manager and for Young People, should you wish to involve them in your development. This joint growth path is essential and is rooted in the Digital Systemic Team approach. Evidence shows that digital youth work is best realised when these four roles (Youth Worker, Manager, Young Person) collaborate.
Activities to complete
Complete the following activities, earn badges and you will see your playlist progress updated
Content
This activity invites young people and youth workers to explore the themes of institutionalisation, disability rights, and independent living through a symbolic and interactive experience.
Using the online escape room “Escape the Institution”, participants will engage with powerful personal and political narratives and uncover the barriers that people with disabilities face – as well as the solutions young people have co-created through this digital experience.
By completing this activity, you will:
- Deepen your understanding of institutionalisation and its impact on people with disabilities.
- Reflect on stereotypes, biases, and the barriers to inclusion that exist in society and youth work.
- Explore how digital tools can support youth engagement, education, and advocacy.
Get inspired
"Escape the Institution" is a youth-designed online escape room experience that challenges you to navigate the life of a fictional teenager named Eva. Hidden within the story and puzzles are real-life issues about exclusion, institutionalisation, and the fight for independent living. Created by young people with and without disabilities, the escape room uses symbolic storytelling and creative problem-solving to spark empathy, awareness, and dialogue.
This activity draws inspiration from the Independent Living philosophy and calls attention to the realities of (non-)deinstitutionalisation in Europe today. Despite progress on paper, many people with disabilities remain isolated in institutions – even when these are disguised as “community” services.
Take action: activities for different roles
Explore the escape room on your own, or bring it into your youth work practice. Here’s how:
- Young people can experience the room individually or in small groups, then reflect on what they learned using guided discussion prompts.
- Youth workers can use this as a tool to raise awareness, build empathy, and discuss human rights and inclusion in youth groups or workshops.
- Youth organisations can use this project as inspiration to co-create similar interactive tools that highlight social justice issues and promote digital creativity among young people.
Suggested follow-up activities include
- Group discussions on inclusion and de-institutionalisation.
- Sharing personal stories of exclusion and empowerment.
- Workshops on digital storytelling, game design, or accessibility in digital tools.
Claim open badge recognition
Participants can earn digital badges by completing and reflecting on the escape room experience, gaining recognition for competencies in:
- Using digital tools for human rights education and awareness.
- Understanding institutionalisation and the philosophy of independent living.
- Designing inclusive, youth-led digital experiences.
Who created this resource?
This activity was created by young people as part of the project Escape Room – Pobeg iz inštitucije, co-funded by the City of Ljubljana - Youth Department. The project was led by YHD Society for the Theory and Culture of Disability with two supporting partners: ODTIZ Institute and TiPovej! Institute. It was developed through workshops and creative processes inspired by the Independent Living movement and disability justice.
The room was designed by and for youth aged 14–29, with and without disabilities, exploring ways to challenge discrimination and claim visibility through play and digital innovation.
Next steps: Click the silver trophy in Eva’s room to begin your journey (+ open online translator, as challenges are written in Slovene language). Then reflect, discuss, and create your own digital adventures that inspire change.
Let this experience be the start of something bigger – for your group, your organisation, and your community.
Resources
Get activity badge
Inclusion Navigator: Escaping the Institution, Imagining Independence Get this badge
Awarded for participating in the Escape the Institution online activity and reflecting on institutionalisation, inclusion, and the philosophy of independent living. This badge recognises your ability to engage critically with systems of exclusion and imagine more inclusive futures.
By earning this badge, you show awareness of the challenges faced by disabled individuals and a commitment to breaking down stereotypes and advocating for choice, autonomy, and equity.
Skills and experiences gained
- Awareness of ableism and systemic exclusion
- Empathy and inclusive thinking
- Critical reflection on institutionalisation
- Understanding of the philosophy of independent living
- Creativity and problem-solving through interactive storytelling
This badge demonstrates your curiosity and capacity to learn through creative, youth-led digital experiences. It shows your engagement with real-life social justice topics in an accessible, meaningful way.
You have to finish 2 tasks to get the badge
Tasks
Task no.1
Evidence verified by: self-approved
Play the escape room “Escape the Institution” and experience the symbolic and emotional challenges represented in the story.
Task no.2
Evidence verified by: one activity organiser
Reflect on what you experienced, by responding to questions below:
- What moments in the game made you reflect the most?
- How did the escape room represent real barriers faced by disabled people?
- What does independent living mean to you after this experience?
Task no.3
Evidence verified by: one activity organiser
Share or Act on Your Learning. You can choose one of the following tasks:
- Write or create a visual/multimedia piece (e.g., poster, drawing, audio) expressing what inclusion or escape means to you.
- Identify one way you or your community could support more inclusive practices.
- Interview someone with lived experience or read/watch their stories, and summarise what you learned.
Skills
#Good Level. Helps young people to understand the difference between facts, mis/dis-information, and, in general, to critically analyse information.
#Excellent Level. Supportes young people to improve their behaviours in looking for trustworthy sources or running their own online research.
#Excellent Level. Supports young people to develop counter-narratives to a case of fake news or disinformation.
#Excellent Level. Helps young people to critically analyse current communication challenges related to the information crisis and the use of synthetic media.
#Fair Level. Sensitise young people on situations when they are not fairly treated in the digitalised world.
#Good Level. Set with young people learning objectives on how to support their digital rights.
#Fair Level. Discusses with young people about the type of digital content they want to produce
#Good Level. Learns to integrate practice-based learning (non-formal learning) and youth participatory approaches in digital youth work practiceer personality.
#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. Understands digital youth work in a broad context of social effects and economic interests of digital transformation; applies solid ethical principles to both digital and traditional youth work.
#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. Supports young people to create their communities, based on pre-set learning objectives, while reflecting on the results.
#Fair Level. Askes young people to critically assess the practices of the youth work offering.
#Good Level. Sets with young people learning objectives for digital youth work.
#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. 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.
#Fair Level. Knows how to support young people to collectively, as a group, gather and reflect on online information (non-formal learning is social knowledge production).
ESCO
#develop a recycling program
ESCO
#checking recycling procedures
ESCO
#advising about pollution prevention
ETS-TR
#Consciously provides space for dialogue and interaction taking into account learners’ values and beliefs and offers space to reflect on them in the educational context
#Excellent Level. Creates different types of digital content and knows how to support others in similar processes (eg. podcasts; videos)
#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.
#Good Level. Knows how to organise educational and participatory activities connected to youth’s digital rights, and has been organised several with organisation.
#Good Level. Sets with young people learning objectives for digital youth work.
#Elementary Level. Uses basic digital tools and devices to run some digital youth work activities with young people, based on own intuition
#Excellent Level. Supports young people to create their communities, based on pre-set learning objectives, while reflecting on the results.
#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. 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.
#Good Level. Plans and implements multiple digital youth work activities, using a diversity of digital 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.
#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. 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. Supports young people to create their communities, based on pre-set learning objectives, while reflecting on the results.
#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. 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 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 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)
#Excellent Level. Understands the benefits and risks of gaming and XR, knows how to deal with them and how to guide young people to ethical platforms; when needed, refers young people to specialised support in case of excessive/inappropriate use.
#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. 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.
#Good Level. Gathers a group of young people to engage in technological activities and agreed about their learning outcomes
#Good Level. Sets together with young people educational aims for their own digital content production
#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. Supports young people to create their communities, based on pre-set learning objectives, while reflecting on the results.
#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. 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.
#Excellent Level. Understands the benefits and risks of gaming and XR, knows how to deal with them and how to guide young people to ethical platforms; when needed, refers young people to specialised support in case of excessive/inappropriate use.
#Excellent Level. Creates different types of digital content and knows how to support others in similar processes (eg. podcasts; videos)
#Good Level. Gathers a group of young people to engage in technological activities and agreed about their learning outcomes
#Excellent Level. Understands the benefits and risks of gaming and XR, knows how to deal with them and how to guide young people to ethical platforms; when needed, refers young people to specialised support in case of excessive/inappropriate use.
#Excellent Level. Creates different types of digital content and knows how to support others in similar processes (eg. podcasts; videos)
#Excellent Level. Supports young people to assess their learnings after running their digital rights activities, and identify new ways of how to address them.
#Fair Level. Supports young people to learn social skills through participation in digital communities, such as discussion groups, life-style sites, vlogs or gaming.
#Good Level. Plans and implements multiple digital youth work activities, using a diversity of digital tools
#Good Level. Sets with young people learning objectives for digital youth work.
#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 and other youth workers to set goals for meaningful digital youth work, assess them and reflect jointly on the outcomes.
#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. Shares practices, as a member of a network, which meets regularly and aims at developing digital youth work.
#Excellent Level. Guides a youth group to develop their own initiative on digital rights - using a project, an online study, or managing an exchange program.
#Excellent Level. Knows the key elements of main European digital regulations in the digital field and knows how to ethically apply them in youth work contexts.
#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. 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.
#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.
#Excellent Level. Supports young people to create their communities, based on pre-set learning objectives, while reflecting on the results.
#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. Creates different types of digital content and knows how to support others in similar processes (eg. podcasts; videos)
#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.
#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. 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. Supportes young people to improve their behaviours in looking for trustworthy sources or running their own online research.
#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 create their communities, based on pre-set learning objectives, while reflecting on the results.
#Excellent Level. Supports young people who independently carries out their content production
#Fair Level. Participates regularly in local, national and/or international e-meetings and e-seminars.
#Awareness-raising on young people’s digital rights and their risks
ESCO
#data privacy
#Good Level. Creates a safe context for digital use and suggested young people to protect themselves from potential cybersecurity threats.
#Fair Level. Knows how to support young people to collectively, as a group, gather and reflect on online information (non-formal learning is social knowledge production).
#Excellent Level. Supports young people to create their communities, based on pre-set learning objectives, while reflecting on the results.
#Good Level. Learns to integrate practice-based learning (non-formal learning) and youth participatory approaches in digital youth work practiceer personality.
#Fair Level. Discusses with young people about the type of digital content they want to produce
#Fair Level. Advises young people on their basic functional skills, such as critically navigating through a variety of websites and platforms.
#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.
#Good Level. Runs digital youth work activities based on the guidelines of organisation.
#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.
#Good Level. Learns to integrate practice-based learning (non-formal learning) and youth participatory approaches in digital youth work practiceer personality.
#Fair Level. Knows how to easily find online information about young people, and uses in planning digital youth work.
#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.
#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. 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)
#Fair Level. Discusses with young people about the type of digital content they want to produce
#Fair Level. Exchanges views with young people about their online safety and security.
#Good Level. Understands digital youth work in a broad context of social effects and economic interests of digital transformation; applies solid ethical principles to both digital and traditional youth work.
#Elementary Level. Understands that youth workers and young people should learn together.
#Fair Level. Knows how to support young people to collectively, as a group, gather and reflect on online information (non-formal learning is social knowledge production).
#Good Level. Empowers young people to co-create digital content together with other youth workers/professionals
#Excellent Level. Understands the benefits and risks of gaming and XR, knows how to deal with them and how to guide young people to ethical platforms; when needed, refers young people to specialised support in case of excessive/inappropriate use.
#Good Level. Creates a safe context for digital use and suggested young people to protect themselves from potential cybersecurity threats.
#Excellent Level. Creates different types of digital content and knows how to support others in similar processes (eg. podcasts; videos)
#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.
#Good Level. Knows how to organise educational and participatory activities connected to youth’s digital rights, and has been organised several with organisation.
#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.
#Fair Level. Askes young people to critically assess the practices of the youth work offering.
#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.
#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. 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.
#Good Level. Sets together with young people educational aims for their own digital content production
#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.
#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.
#Good Level. Gathers a group of young people to engage in technological activities and agreed about their learning outcomes
#Good Level. Learns to integrate practice-based learning (non-formal learning) and youth participatory approaches in digital youth work practiceer personality.
#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.
#Good Level. Plans and implements multiple digital youth work activities, using a diversity of digital tools
#Fair Level. Knows how to support young people to collectively, as a group, gather and reflect on online information (non-formal learning is social knowledge production).
Activities: 20
Started: 51
Completed playlist: 50
Time to complete: 2 days 6 hours 15 minutes
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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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