Youth Activism through Social Media Storytelling

Did you know that our brains are just more active when we’re listening to a story? Though can you, in fact, tell a good story? Youth Activism through Social Media Storytelling project aimed to empower youth, by providing them information on youth relevant issues, using the method of storytelling and the social media as a channel for transferring the message. Along with the approach of the European Strategy for Youth about youth empowerment, the project Youth Activism through Social Media Storytelling, where 36 participants in total, including the group leaders, coming from Slovakia, Macedonia, Italy, Greece, and Turkey took part identified and promoted good practices and stories of young people, youth organizations and stakeholders working with youth that make an impact in their communities.

Youth inspiring Youth

Students who won scholarships, active interns in international organizations, young innovators, youth organizations promoting mobility, start-up organizations, co-working spaces, impact hubs, departments for international students, Erasmus offices were just some of the possible actors in the stories that aimed to inspire, inform and raise the awareness of youth. Instead of personal stories connected to a city, we depicted stories connected with young people who do contribute to the well-being of youth.

The central activity of the youth exchange, nonetheless, were the field trips, working sessions and meetings with youth, where the participants learned how to use social media storytelling and boosted their multimedia skills.

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Youth Empowerment in the Focus

The social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn have gained the significant role in everyday life and have become one of the most important communication channels among young people*.

The project tried to maximize the impact of the social media and it:
• Promoted active citizenship and empowerment of young people by supporting their ideas and creativity;
• Enhanced the level of key competences and skills of young people in the area of storytelling and digital media, which boosted their writing skills and initiated youth empowerment;
• Brought more information connected with youth-related issues;
• Fostered the quality improvements in youth work: in particular through enhanced cooperation between organisations in the youth field and other stakeholders;
• Set pillars for a more strategic and joint approach towards youth empowerment;
• As well as enhanced the visibility of the European added value to the Erasmus + programme.

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The project’s FB group remained active after the project end, and the 10 Tips for Social Media Storytelling created during the YE should give the organizations some pillars to start building their social media strategies and boost their impact through these channels. The youth exchange Youth Activism through Social Media Storytelling was organized by Mladiinfo Austria and took place in the Austrian capital, Vienna in June 2016.

Youth Activism through Social Media Storytelling PHOTOS 

Get more impressions from the YE: Watch the video HERE

10 Tips for Social Media Storytelling

Join the youth exchange FB group.

*Eurostat reports similar data, in 2014 even 90% of the young people aged 16-29 use the Internet on daily basis, whereas 82 % of the youth in EU are active on social media channels.

The youth exchange was sponsored by Erasmus + under the Key Action 1: Mobility of individuals: Learning mobility of individuals.

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