In December 2018 at Skølskor, a small village near Copenhagen, Denmark, there was a project about media literacy, critical thinking and youth work. The project was organized by Copenhagen Youth Network, a non-governmental organization, which organizes local sporting events for young people, especially for those who have an immigrant background. The project was funded by Erasmus+.
The training course united 30 different people from all over the Europe. Participants came all the way from Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, Romania, Estonia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark. Most of them were either youth workers or leaders of their own NGO.
Throughout 9 days, that is how long the project lasted, enthusiastic young people learned about ways how to think critically and how to apply that knowledge when searching through different media and news.
Using non formal methods such as open debate, exchange of ideas, storytelling, role play and many others, the youngsters got a grip on acknowledging which news articles are objective and which are biased, either by author itself or by companies, politics etc.
The project also encouraged intercultural dialogue, which is important in raising acceptance and tolerance against other cultures, races and religions. By organizing intercultural nights, the participant got to know something about participating countries, especially what are their traditions, history and cuisine.
Gathered knowledge was recognized with YouthPass, a document often used in Erasmus+ projects, that helps define the non formal and informal outcomes of a project. YouthPass enriches one’s CV and raises his/hers employability.
The participants said that they will go home full of new knowledge and skills about media literacy and critical thinking. They also said that they have made a lot of new friends.
Photos: Eusebiu Amitrului
