Developed through a collaborative process between researchers and practitioners, this toolkit is a curated cross-section of resources that relay knowledge and best practices in achieving real success in youth-centered digital learning.
REPORT & RESOURCES
Lessons to help youth thrive through informal learning with technology
Digital culture and technology are changing the world, and community-based, youth-serving organizations can play a critical role in preparing them for it. This toolkit, and an associated report, shares effective practices for equitable, youth-centered digital learning.
Topics
Rather than one silver bullet, this toolkit offers a range of approaches in five strategic areas where youth-serving organizations need to focus decision making to achieve meaningful and impactful success in digital learning.
For each strategic area, the toolkit offers guiding perspectives along with how-to’s and case examples of organizational approaches you can draw on.
Pedagogy
Develop an approach to fostering learning that infuses digital tools and practices with a deep focus on positive youth development.
Skills
Consider the range of valued competencies around digital learning, including technical skills, social and emotional learning, and 21st century skills such as communication, collaboration and creativity—all critical to accessing future opportunity.
Technology
Intentionally select and integrate tools and practices that support voice, creativity and participation in ways that are meaningful and impactful for youth futures.
Community
Strategically link programs as well as your organization more broadly to place and local need through participation in networks and partnerships.
Capacity
Ensure that your organization hires the kind of staff and develops program improvement structures that effectively support your organization’s vision of digital learning programs.
Research Approach
The project drew on Research-Practice Partnership methods, where researchers and practitioners work together to identify problems of practice and advance knowledge about how to tackle them.
Formed a learning community of exemplary youth-serving organizations that incorporate digital learning practices into their programs.
Gathered data on how these organizations approach digital learning, with a focus on questions of pedagogy, skills, technology, community and capacity.
Collaboratively synthesized and documented best practices in digital learning in forms accessible to practitioners for adoption and adaptation.