How can digital training become a driver of growth for a mountainous region?
DIGINEXT is charting an innovative path towards digital inclusion in the rural areas of Madonie, strengthening local communities and expanding opportunities for participation and growth.
The initiative demonstrates how digital skills can support social inclusion, promote independence and access to services, helping to bridge gaps and open up new prospects for the region. Through targeted training programmes and an intergenerational approach, DIGINEXT has created an experience that combines practical skills with critical thinking, making training more accessible and effective.
Initially, the activities involved young adults with basic digital skills, providing them with practical tools and encouraging critical thinking. The focus on topics such as digital sustainability and critical thinking brought digital technology closer to the participants’ interests and everyday lives, encouraging them to use it more thoughtfully and responsibly.
We then involved a group of older residents from the Petralia Sottana area in a workshop focused on the use of digital services, with a particular emphasis on public and healthcare services. The session, which took place in a blended format, facilitated a direct and practical discussion on the everyday use of technology. Participants showed interest in tools already present in their lives, such as smartphones, messaging apps and social networks, discovering their value in accessing local information, services and opportunities. The practical approach, combined with in-depth discussions on current topics such as artificial intelligence, helped to foster greater independence in the use of devices and platforms and made the learning process more intuitive.
In addition to these two main activities, DIGINEXT’s training programme also included two online sessions with the digital facilitators from GAL Madonie, who shared their experiences and the results achieved during a year of work in the local area. Their contribution highlighted the tangible impact of a comprehensive digital support and facilitation service, based on a personalised approach aimed specifically at older people in the Madonie municipalities: a model that helps to bridge geographical distances, facilitate access to services and improve quality of life.
Overall, DIGINEXT has highlighted the potential of training programmes capable of meeting the practical needs of people in rural areas, thereby improving their quality of life.
Alongside the results achieved, a number of priorities for the future have emerged: the need to strengthen the involvement of institutional and local stakeholders; to make the courses even more practical and supported by clear operational tools, particularly for young people and adults acting as facilitators; and, finally, to improve the collection of qualitative feedback in order to guide future activities more effectively.
DIGINEXT invites local residents, stakeholders and organisations to discover and share the project’s results. DIGINEXT’s resources are available free of charge on the project website: among the materials available for download are the job profile for the e-rural inclusion specialist and the operational toolkit, designed to support new digital inclusion initiatives in rural areas.
You can also actively contribute to the final evaluation of the project by completing the relevant questionnaires:
- the Professional Profile form, to evaluate and compare the DIGINEXT curriculum for teaching digital skills: https://forms.gle/nLdC4vWJpfP7gFkn6;
- the Toolkit form, to leave feedback on the support materials for the DIGINEXT training programme: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ztx7Bd8C-TnkgYPIr3vjAdmxP1vpVggmHJW2Ps2HieY/
The input of those who live and work in these areas is essential for improving future tools and approaches.
DIGINEXT thus stands as an ongoing initiative that provides a solid foundation for continued investment in digital skills as a driver of development and inclusion in rural communities.
For further information, visit https://diginextproject.eu/it/ or contact Aurelia Schera: aurelia.schera@cesie.org.
About DIGINEXT
DIGINEXT – Sustainable Digital Engagement for Seniors and New Professional Profiles in Resilient Rural Areas is a European project co-funded by the KA220-ADU – Cooperation partnerships in adult education programme.
Partners
- University of Seville (Coordinator, Spain)
- KMOP (Greece)
- INCOMA (Spain)
- CESIE ETS (ITALY)
- dieBerater (Austria)
- Asociatia Euro Adult Education (Romania)
For further information
Read more about the project. Visit the website https://diginextproject.eu/ and follow us on LinkedIn.
Contact Aurelia Schera: aurelia.schera@cesie.org.
