Rural Youth Co-Designing their Digital Education

RURCODE focuses on addressing the need for educational interventions to enhance media and digital literacy while safeguarding children's rights online, particularly in rural communities. The project aims to create an engaging educational programme tailored to young learners aged 8-16, helping them understand their digital rights and improve their digital literacy.

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This programme will be co-designed with young people through participatory, collaborative, and game-based learning methods. Focus groups and workshops will enable children to actively participate in developing tools and content to promote healthy digital habits, reduce risks such as cyberbullying, and manage social media pressures. Additionally, the project supports youth workers and educators working with rural communities by offering comprehensive training and innovative tools. This capacity-building approach will enable professionals to deliver scalable media literacy education and promote children’s rights online, further strengthening local communities’ resilience.

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The primary target group consists of young people from rural areas in Spain (Cantabria, Valencia) and Belgium (around Brussels), who face challenges such as limited digital infrastructure, geographic isolation, lower access to quality education, and greater exposure to digital threats. These children are often overlooked in media literacy initiatives and rarely involved in the design of educational programmes.

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The project also targets youth workers in both formal and informal settings, aiming to create a resilient support network within these communities. Through training and the provision of resources, professionals will be equipped to replicate activities and promote digital literacy and online rights in their educational environments. Ultimately, the project will improve digital literacy and raise awareness of children's online rights, promoting their safety, resilience, and informed participation in digital spaces.

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