„Through the Homepage into the Digital Age“
As part of our project, we gave young people with migration and/or refugee experiences the opportunity to engage in a hands-on way with the digital world and to create their own website. The project, which was carried out over 20 weeks in sessions held twice a week lasting 2.5 hours each, enabled the participants to acquire basic knowledge in using the internet and to expand their digital competence.
Under the guidance of an experienced media educator and a web developer, supported by volunteer mentors with their own migration and refugee experiences, the young people were introduced to the world of website development in an empathetic atmosphere. In doing so, the individual needs of the participants were taken into account in order to create a tailored learning environment that was coordinated both professionally and pedagogically.
The project began with a theoretical introduction to the fundamentals of the internet and internet security. In the following modules, the young people learned step by step how to create their own website with WordPress: from installing the software and creating content to designing the layout and search engine optimization. Through the use of Zoom and practical exercises, the young people were able to apply their skills directly and develop their website according to their own ideas.
Another goal of the project was to show the young people how they can use the digital world for their own interests and needs. In addition to the technical knowledge, they were also to learn how to move safely and responsibly in digital society, use social networks and research relevant information online. At the end of the project, the young people had not only acquired practical knowledge in website design, but were also able to actively shape the digital world and to act as multipliers for others. Moreover, the project helped to give the participants a degree of distance from their distressing refugee experiences and to strengthen them in their social and digital integration. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the Landschaftsverband Westfalen Lippe (LWL), whose funding made the realization of this valuable project possible.
