In the quiet peaceful hills of Cabris, France, something big is unfolding. DEEP: Digitize, Engage, Empower Participation has kicked off, bringing together 29 participants from France, Romania, Sweden, Spain, Poland, Italy, Turkey, Latvia, and Germany for a training course that challenges the way youth work integrates digital participation.
This project is about rethinking engagement, making digital tools work for youth participation, and ensuring young people see their role in shaping society. Participants will explore how digital activism connects to citizenship, assess current digital youth work practices, and design practical digital guidelines for youth workers.
At the core of DEEP are four key pillars:
- Digitize: Modernizing outdated processes while ensuring data security and GDPR compliance.
- Engage: Revitalizing youth interest in political and civic life at both national and EU levels.
- Empower: Equipping youth workers with new tools and digital literacy to facilitate learning and dialogue.
- Participation: Reinforcing the importance of active citizenship and showing young people how digital spaces can be used for real impact.
The first days have been about setting the foundation—mapping out digital participation realities, analyzing how organizations can adapt, and beginning to craft strategies that will serve as practical solutions for youth work across Europe. As the training unfolds, participants will not only exchange knowledge but also co-create digital frameworks that can be applied long after this course ends.
