Our Digital Village – Co-designed digital education in rural areas
Our Digital Village aims to intervene in rural areas by promoting the acquisition of digital and transversal skills, preparing people to face the challenges of the future.
Project Number: 101087107
Funded by: Erasmus+ Duration: 01/01/2023 – 31/12/2025
Challenge
Digital skills are crucial for almost every aspect of daily life, particularly in the workplace, education, and preparing for future challenges. Therefore, the education and training system should adapt accordingly.
According to the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI 2021), 56% of individuals in Europe have at least basic digital skills and this percentage should increase to 70% by 2025 according to the EU Skills Agenda. However, there is still a substantial gap between rural and urban areas when looking at the digital skills of the population: on the EU level, only 48% of individuals living in rural areas possess at least basic digital skills, while this percentage reaches 62% among people living in the cities. Moreover, the rate of early leavers from education and training is higher in rural areas and towns than in cities, and the schools there often struggle to provide quality education due to their geographical isolation, small size, and a lack of opportunities.
Consequently, the European Commission in the “long-term Vision for the EU’s Rural Areas” underlined the importance of measures in order to “ensure no one and no place is left behind” and the need to increase digital skills and connectivity in these areas.
Innovation
Our Digital Village aims to intervene in rural areas by promoting the acquisition of digital and transversal skills, preparing people to face the challenges of the future. It will do so by co-creating high-quality educational content that responds to the needs of the local context while simultaneously ensuring the long-term transformation towards digitalization through active awareness raising on all levels of society.
Action
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Project Partners
CSI CENTER FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION LTD (Cyprus)