DigiCraft, empowering young people in the digital world

The Digicraft program aims to train young people from 6 to 12 years old in the necessary digital skills for tomorrow’s life.

Digital competence is one of the 8 skills that any young person should develop to successfully move forward adulthood, according to the European Parliament on key competences for lifelong learning (Recommendation 2006/962 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, of December 18, 2006, on key competences for lifelong learning, Official Journal L 394 of 12.30.2006).

The 2018 Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) states that 44% of the population between 16 and 74 years old do not have enough digital skills to participate in the economy and society. 

Based on this scenario, the Vodafone Spain Foundation considers necessary to develop the program Digicraft, which aims to train children and youth in these digital skills that will be necessary for tomorrow’s life, and also in the associated basic skills that are collected in the EU Common Digital Competence Framework (DigComp).

According to the Ministry of Health, Consumption and Social Welfare of Spain, 33% of minors are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Furthermore, according to the latest report about Digital Gap published by Unicef in 2018, 300,000 children have not used a computer in the last three months and 140,000 have not used the Internet in that period.

The Program aims to train young people from 6 to 12 years old in the necessary digital skills for tomorrow’s life, and also in the basic competences that are included in the Common Digital Competence Framework of the EU (DigComp 2.1.):

1. Information and data literacy 
2. Collaboration and communication
3. Digital Content Creation content
4. Problem solving 
5. Safety

Following  the Digicraft methodology, educational tracks  will be designed to gradually work on one or several digital skills, depending on the students’ progress and needs.For each age group two separate educational tracks of 14 hours will be designed..

Each educational tracks  will be worked through “crafty” activities according to the Digicraft methodology and will end with the use of a technology-based “instant digital skills” kit. The methodology is based on carrying out an analysis to provide a pedagogical basis. This framework allows defining which competencies to work in the program to reach an aptitude optimal according to age.

The approach of learning by playing is a key piece of the Digicraft methodology, as it provides a stimulating educational framework with clear benefits for the acquisition of digital skills. Likewise, a clear focus is placed on “learning by doing” through experience and exploration in safe trial-and-error environments.

Digicraft is based on activities and material resources of high quality and low cost, to be accessible to all types of groups regardless of purchasing level. Activities such as indoor and outdoor games, board games, group dynamics, low-cost experiments with everyday materials, printable materials, crafts, etc. are proposed.

In order to guarantee the sustainability of the program, it is proposed that the educators of the Entities and Schools should be the managers of the Digicraft training program.

During the first year of implementation 2020-2021, the activity was carried out in 63 Educational Centers. 404 boys and 362 girls have participated and 127 educators have been trained.

Each Center is equipped with technological material: 12 Tablets and 2 user friendly  ‘Instant Digital Skills’ Kits. These kits have chipsets suitable for children, materials to display elements in Augmented Reality; holographic pyramids that allow the display of holograms and some other materials as decks of cards and boards.

1. Digicraft not only enhances the use of technological hardware, but also combines it with  craft material that allows developing different skills such as motor skills, spatial orientation, teamwork, etc.
2. The program is developed in the educational reinforcement classrooms, in this way, the methodology is adapted to the times, the profiles of students and professionals and the working conditions in these classrooms.
3. Digicraft proposes a training itinerary that covers the entire school year compared to other solutions based on ad-hoc workshops or activities of limited duration.
4. Although one of the pillars of the methodology is that the activities have a playful component, a strong educational component will be maintained.