Yaşar University, within the scope of the EU Erasmus + Project DiGi Youth, announced that DiGi Youth Simulation Game, Work Manual and Media Manual are now available on DiGi Youth’s open access virtual Work Hub, digi- youth.com.
Two new manuals for youth workers, Work Manual and Media Manual, have been prepared to support youth workers in the digital age, within the scope of the EU Erasmus+ strategic partnership project DiGi Youth, which Yaşar University carries out with non-governmental organizations from Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Greece. Both manuals are available in 5 languages, including English and Turkish, in the DiGi Youth’s open access virtual Work Hub (digi-youth.com). The Work Manual covers the essential issues that can support youth workers in the digital age, both theoretically and practically, while the Media Manual focuses on digital tools and approaches that can be used by youth workers. The DiGi Youth Simulation Game, which is also accessible via digi-youth.com, was designed as a space where the real-life situations and the difficulties frequently encountered by youth workers are simulated. Youth workers will be able to experience overcoming common youth work challenges by using their digital skills with the DiGi Youth Simulation Game.
Theory and practice of emerging digital concepts and tools that intersect with youth work were blended in two new manuals
Yaşar University Vice Rector for Research and Innovation and Coordinator of the Project, Prof. Dr. Levent Kandiller stated the following about the new Digi Youth manuals: “One of the manuals we will publish is the Media Manual that we have prepared on the use of digital media and digital tools. This manual includes theories and new approaches in the field of digital media as well as practical suggestions. We focused on rights, limits, hate speech and information verification issues in digital environments, digital media literacy and digital storytelling. On the other hand, in our Work Manual, we tried to find an answer to the question of “How can we update youth work?” in regard of the rising trends, rapidly changing concepts and tools in the digital age. The methods frequently used in youth work such as conflict resolution, ethics, planning and organization, self-assessment and self-development were analyzed in the context of the digital world, in terms of theory and practice. In addition, new notions such as cyberbullying were also discussed in the context of youth work.”
Dr. Effi Staiou, Yaşar University lecturer at the Department of Industrial Engineering, stated the following about the DiGi Youth Simulation Game: “We prepared the DiGi Youth Simulation Game based on the two manuals we recently published, in the light of the experiences of youth workers from 4 countries. This gamified experience, in which we simulate 20 different situations that frequently encountered in youth work, allows youth workers to develop digital skills by applying them.”
DiGi Youth’s open access virtual Work Hub (digi-youth.com), where DiGi Youth Work Manual, Media Manual, and the Simulation Game were published, was designed as a digital co-working space for youth workers within the scope of the Project. In the Work Hub, youth workers can communicate with their colleagues from many parts of the world, especially from Europe: through the DiGi Youth Forum designed as an interactive space for sharing ideas, information, experiences and activities, and the Best Practices Map consisting of exemplary and influential digital youth work practices. The Work Hub is available in Turkish, English, Slovenian, Greek and Bulgarian.
About the DiGi Youth Project
With the development of digital world, the opportunities in the field of youth work are constantly increasing, and the need for youth workers to improve themselves is becoming increasingly apparent. Youth workers need to master new digital skills and follow new approaches to adapt to the digital world and produce innovative work. DiGi Youth, an EU Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership project, aims to empower youth workers to deliver successful and innovative youth work in the digital world. The project touches on universal concepts and skills without ignoring the local dynamics of all the outputs produced with its multicultural structure.
DiGi Youth Project, which received a grant of 133 thousand 252 Euros under the Erasmus+ Cooperation for the Exchange of Innovation and Good Practices programme, co-financed by the European Union and the Slovakian National Agency, is being carried out in the strategic partnership of organizations from Slovakia, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. The project partners alongside Yaşar University from Turkey are European Dialogue from Slovakia, The Future Is Now Association from Bulgaria and Higher Incubator Giving Growth & Sustainability from Greece. The project has started in February 2020 and will end in May 2022.
Links:
Social media
https://www.facebook.com/DiGiYouthProject/
https://www.instagram.com/digiyouth_com/
Digi Youth Work Hub
DiGi Youth Media Manual and DiGi Youth Work Manual
https://digi-youth.com/#/en/sp/work-manual
https://digi-youth.com/#/en/sp/media-manual
DiGi Youth Simulation Game
https://digi-youth.com/#/en/game/dashboard