The Erasmus+ initiative brings together organisations from Germany, Poland, Czechia, Italy and Finland to develop a Digital Resilience Hub for young people and youth workers, with a particular focus on media literacy, online safety, emotional well-being and vulnerable youth.
A new European initiative, YOUth HUB – Youth Empowerment Hub, has started its work on strengthening the digital resilience of young people and the professionals who support them. Funded through the Erasmus+ Programme, the project brings together five organisations from five European countries to develop educational tools, training programmes and a multilingual Digital Resilience Hub.
The initiative describes its central ambition as “empowering young people for a digital and inclusive Europe.” Its focus comes at a time when young people are spending an increasingly important part of their social, educational and personal lives online, while simultaneously being exposed to disinformation, manipulation, cyberbullying, social comparison and other forms of psychological pressure.
YOUth HUB aims to address these challenges from two directions: by giving young people practical skills to navigate digital environments safely and critically, and by improving the capacity of youth workers, educators and community organisations to support them.
Particular attention will be given to vulnerable and displaced young people, including Ukrainian youth and refugees from other conflict-affected communities. According to the project, such groups can be especially dependent on digital platforms for education, communication and social connections while also facing increased exposure to misinformation, exploitation and emotional distress.
- YOUth HUB website: youthhubproject.eu
- Facebook: YOUth HUB on Facebook
- Instagram: @youthhub_eu
Five countries, one digital resilience network
The project is coordinated by the European Youth4Media Network e.V. in Germany, a European network working in youth media, media literacy and civic participation.
The other members of the consortium are Fundacja Dobry Start from Poland, which leads the development of the project’s Knowledge Compass; Polo Meccatronica Valley from Italy, responsible for the Digital Lab and quality assurance; Aar Social Development Association (ASDA) from Finland, which leads the piloting process; and Universal, z.s. from Czechia, responsible for dissemination and communication.
Together, the partners bring experience in youth media, migrant and refugee support, technological development, community education and work with young people.
Partner organizations meeting (photo European Youth4Media Network)
From digital literacy to emotional resilience
YOUth HUB is structured around three interconnected areas: strengthening digital literacy and critical thinking, supporting emotional intelligence and well-being in digital environments, and building stronger cooperation among youth organisations across Europe.
Among the planned outputs are a Knowledge Compass containing guidelines and educational materials, a series of 36 peer-to-peer video narratives, training programmes for youth workers and an interactive Digital Lab offering exercises, educational modules, toolkits and other resources. The project says its materials will be made openly available online.
The planned multilingual platform is intended to serve both young people and practitioners, bringing educational resources, peer experiences and practical tools together in one space. The project website currently states that the full platform is still being prepared for launch.
Readers can follow the development of the project, its forthcoming resources, training activities and opportunities through its official website and social media channels:
- YOUth HUB website: youthhubproject.eu
- Facebook: YOUth HUB on Facebook
- Instagram: @youthhub_eu
YOUth HUB is implemented under the Erasmus+ KA220-YOU programme and is scheduled to run through December 2027.
CIVIL Today News Desk