How can cities and regions work together to create inclusive learning environments where young people can explore, develop, and showcase their skills?
Cities of Learning is a web-based platform that maps physical and digital activities in a given area, while offering tools to build personal learning pathways and collect digital Open Badges for demonstrated competencies.
Representatives from the municipality of Ljubljana in Slovenia and the Dutch Cities of Learning network in the Netherlands will share their experiences, demonstrate how the platform is important to highlight diverse learning opportunities, and discuss the benefits for young people, organisations, and cities.
Presenters:
By following this seminar participants will gain a foundational understanding of the Cities of Learning framework and its potential to enhance youth engagement and development within their municipalities.
The seminar will provide insights into:
- How Cities of Learning aligns with local policy priorities and goals.
- Successful examples of Cities of Learning implementation at the city level.
- The core functionalities of the Cities of Learning platform.
- Key Cities of Learning initiatives and their role in supporting youth work development.
- Examples of Cities of Learning strategies.
How to make learning great for young people in Cities and Regions:
Imagine a city or region where it's easy for young people to discover all the different ways they can learn and grow. This includes everything from school clubs and online courses to volunteering and apprenticeships. The "Cities of Learning" idea helps make this happen.
Think of it like this:
Mapping opportunities: The "Cities of Learning" platform acts like a map, showing all the learning activities available in the area, both online and in person.
Personal learning journeys: Young people can use tools on the platform to create their own learning paths, choosing activities that interest them and help them develop specific skills.
Digital recognition (Open Badges): When young people show what they've learned through these activities, they can earn digital badges. These badges act like a record of their skills and achievements, which they can use for future education or jobs.
What this means for Cities and Regions:
By using a Cities of Learning platform, Cities and Regions can:
- Highlight all kinds of learning: Make sure that all the different ways young people learn are visible and valued.
- Help young people grow: Support them in exploring their interests, developing important skills, and showing what they can do.
- Benefit everyone: This helps the young people themselves, the organisations that offer learning opportunities, and the city as a whole by creating a more skilled and engaged youth population.
Examples of how Cities are doing this:
Several cities are already using the "Cities of Learning" approach successfully. You can read about their experiences here:
Good examples Youth Work within this Framework
Key projects supporting this work:
How to include important skills for the future (21st Century Skills)
Cities are developing specific plans to make sure young people gain skills like problem solving, creativity and teamwork. This involves: - Understanding key skills: Identifying the most important skills for the 21st century.
- Considering local needs: Thinking about what's important for their specific city.
- Using technology: Finding ways technology can support learning.
- Mapping what's already there: Looking at the current learning opportunities and seeing where there are gaps.
Photo: Angela Compagnone