Digital Youth Work Research Hub

The Digital Youth Work Research Network is hosted by the University of Leeds within the INCLUDE+ Network. DYWR.HUB aims to explore the intersections of equity, inclusion, digital technologies and youth work.

Aims

Our network seeks to foster an environment of knowledge and practice co-creation between researchers, youth workers, young people, policymakers, tech organisations, and other relevant stakeholders.

Our work is grounded in this area’s existing research and practice guidelines. Dr Alicja Pawluczuk, who leads the work of the network, has been and continues to be proactively involved in the work of national and international research and policy networks (e.g., the Europan Academy of Youth Work, SALTO Youth, Digital Youth Work Network, Youth Link Scotland, and Youth Partnership – European Union and Council of Europe).

DYWR.HUB Timeline

In 2024, we’ll work on getting a clear picture of Digital Youth Work across Europe and beyond. We aim to keep an eye on both the ideas and the actual work being done in this area.

We’re hoping to co-design our DYWR HUB with the help of people involved in the field.

• March to June 2024 – Co-designing of the network and aims
• June 2024 – The official launch of the DYWR HUB
• June to September 2024 – Activities informed by the DYWR HUB co-design process
• 2025 onwards – TBC

What is digital youth work?

Digital youth work refers to the utilisation of digital tools and methodologies to support the personal and social development of young people. It encompasses a broad array of activities that utilise digital technology, including social media, online gaming, digital making, and virtual reality, to engage young individuals in educational, social, and creative endeavours.

The primary aim of digital youth work is to enhance young people’s capacity to actively participate in society, improve their skills for the contemporary digital world, and foster their overall well-being. This approach recognises the significant role that digital technology plays in the lives of young people today and seeks to leverage these tools to support their development in positive and meaningful ways.

Digital youth work can take place in a variety of settings, including schools, youth centres, and online platforms. It involves not only the use of digital tools for communication and engagement but also the teaching of digital skills and critical thinking about digital media and technology.

If you’d like to join the conversation and connect with others interested in digital youth work, be sure to join our LinkedIn group.

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DYWR.HUB People

sustainable ways to shape its future. If you’d like to join the conversation and connect with others interested in digital youth work, be sure to join our LinkedIn group.

Dr Alicja Pawluczuk [Research Fellow at the INCLUDE+] has over a decade of experience in co-designing, facilitating, and evaluating digital inclusion, digital literacy and ICT-enabled and/or focused education programmes in the UK and internationally. Alicja has experience working both on high-level digital development programmes (e.g. United Nations University, ITU, EQUALS-EU, Council of Europe, USAID) as well as smaller-scale community-led projects (e.g. digital literacy workshops, digital rights). She has a track record of peer-reviewed publications and cross-disciplinary public engagement activities. Her research has informed a number of international policy-making efforts and recommendations in the context of digital inclusion.The key areas of her expertise include digital inclusion, gender digital divide, digital youth work, and digital and data literacy. 

Lotte Vermeire is a PhD researcher in communication sciences at imec‐SMIT, Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium. She is part of the Digital Inclusion and Citizen Engagement and Media, Marketing, and User Experience units. Her research looks into digital and data literacy, digital youth work, and digital inclusion. Her PhD project focusses ondigitally inclusive initiatives aimed at improving data literacy in both formal and non‐formal educational settings.