Words Matter: Media Literacy Lab

“Words Matter: Media Literacy Lab” was a 7-day Erasmus+ training course designed to strengthen participants’ media literacy skills, enabling them to guide young people in becoming responsible, informed, and inclusive media users and creators.

Hosted November 19-27, 2024, in Lecce, Italy, the training brought together 27 youth leaders from across Europe for a week of interactive learning, intercultural dialogue, and collaboration. Through hands-on workshops and creative exercises, participants explored how media influences perception, identity, and inclusion, and how youth workers can use it to foster critical thinking and empathy among young people.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

• develop a strong basis in media literacy principles and practices

• enhance participants’ critical thinking and source evaluation skills

• teach participants to identify and combat misinformation and disinformation

• promote responsible media consumption, production, and digital citizenship

• equip participants with the knowledge, resources, and tools to create media literacy youth activities

• empower participants to be informed, media-savvy individuals who promote inclusion and understanding

WHY MEDIA LITERACY?

In an era defined by constant connectivity, young people consume more information than ever before but not always responsibly. According to Eurostat, 97% of youth in the EU use the internet daily, yet few have the tools to critically evaluate what they see and share. The rapid spread of misinformation and biased narratives has created new challenges for inclusion, democracy, and social trust.

Media literacy is essential for navigating this landscape. It helps youth workers and young people alike to understand how media messages are constructed, whose voices are amplified or silenced, and how bias shapes what we perceive as truth.

By fostering critical thinking, empathy, and responsible communication, media literacy empowers individuals to challenge stereotypes, resist manipulation, and create positive social change. It is not only a skill, it is also an act of citizenship.

ACTIVITIES

Our training course used non-formal education (NFE) and experiential learning methods, combined with a human rights education approach inspired by the Council of Europe’s Compass manual.

Participants learned through interactive sessions that:

• required active involvement and reflection;

• were tailored to participants’ needs and experiences;

• encouraged cooperative learning and intercultural dialogue;

• incorporated creative, open-ended learning.

The course also applied the Center for Media Literacy’s “Empowerment Spiral”, guiding participants through four stages of learning—Awareness, Analysis, Reflection, and Action—to help them critically engage with media and apply their learning in practice.

Throughout the week, participants explored:

• the state of media and its influence in Europe;

• techniques for spotting misinformation and hate speech;

• digital tools for responsible content creation;

• planning and evaluation of local media literacy activities;

• promoting diversity, inclusion, and social empowerment through media.

By the end of the project, participants had deepened their understanding of media literacy and gained practical tools to integrate these concepts into their youth work.

DISSEMINATION

To ensure a lasting impact, ONDE, the project partners, and the participants implemented diverse dissemination activities both online and locally. Some examples include:

• community workshops on media literacy and responsible media use;

• informative articles addressing misinformation and promoting Erasmus+;

• creation of "Spot the Truth!" an investigative mobile game to test and build media literacy skills;

• webinars and activities in diverse educational environments;

• the “Words Matter: Insights & Actions” booklet, summarizing the project, methodology, and results.

These initiatives allowed us to reach and inspire youth workers and younf people across Europe to use media as a tool for truth, empathy, and inclusion.

PARTICIPATING PARTNERS / COUNTRIES:

Officina Nuova Dimensione Europea (ONDE) APS - Italy

Milat - Austria

DreamTeam AMKE - Greece

Love and Care for People - Ireland

Tavo Europa - Lithuania

Furora - Poland

Inspira! - Portugal

STEP - Slovakia

Youth BCN - Spain

To learn more about this training course, its methodology and follow-up results, please download the official booklet below.