Full Experience - Gaiato 2023

In 2023, the complete experience of Training of Trainers took place at Gaiato, in Ubatuba, SP. Here, we report on our experience in the training.

Meet "Gaiato"

Gaiato is a civil society organization that serves children and youth. They offer various artistic activities such as dance, music, graffiti, sewing, circus, etc. The educators are mostly volunteers, residents of the city

Gaiato's Hub - Ubatuba/SP

We started by teaming up with Gaiato. Our project manager reached out to them, and they were keen on teaching their educators about digital well-being and safety. We got to know Gaiato's work and what they wanted to cover. Besides the usual topics like privacy, security, and misinformation (all part of Data Detox for Youth), they also wanted us to talk about cyberbullying and online sexuality.

To make this happen, we used open-source materials Casa Hacker had already created with partners like Proteka, plus other cool stuff we found online. Knowing the organization, the educators, and what the community needed, we were able to customize the training perfectly.

Workshop with the educators

The in-person training consisted of a two-day workshop centered around the 'Data Detox for Youth' kit and the 'What the future wants?' exhibition, both developed by Tactical Tech and translated by Casa Hacker. This workshop took place at the Gaiato headquarters, providing us with a deeper understanding of our partner organization and its work.

This gathering with educators was particularly insightful, as an initial survey revealed that many participants identified as less familiar with technology. Despite this, they expressed significant concern and interest in young people's digital lives.

Given this context, the training was even more crucial for educators. As they may not be as immersed in technology daily, they often have limited knowledge about the online world, security, privacy, and digital well-being. Consequently, creating educational interventions for young people becomes more challenging, requiring substantial research. The training served as a valuable resource to support this process.

The workshop exceeded expectations due to the participants' enthusiasm and insightful discussions. Educators delved beyond technical aspects, addressing important issues such as self-esteem, body image, and mental health.

Following the workshop, all educators expressed keen interest in implementing these concepts with young people. However, the organization's context presented challenges for traditional activities like the Data Detox for Youth kit.

As a result, educators began exploring new approaches to discuss these topics with young people. The kit played a pivotal role in their own learning, even if it wasn't directly applied in their work with youth.

Mentorship and Suport

The process involved monthly meetings to share progress, discuss new topics, and maintain educators' engagement with the project.

The exchanges were rich and insightful, as art educators effectively stimulated deep discussions among young people. They incorporated activities designed to foster reflection on technology use and critical thinking, leading students to intriguing conclusions in an engaging manner.

Young people's reflections were profound. Many shared challenging experiences and made positive changes to their online habits, such as enhancing privacy settings and developing a more critical perspective on internet use.

The mentoring process clearly motivated and assisted educators in integrating technology into their teaching practices. All meeting reports were positive and enriching.

For Casa Hacker, an organization focused on technology-enhanced education, the reports from art educators provided new perspectives and demonstrated the potential for creative and engaging uses of technology.

Closing

In this case, the organization hosts an annual end-of-year event, which this year focused on technology. Throughout the year, they studied and discussed the themes of Data Detox for Youth, albeit with different approaches. This discussion culminated in an artistic presentation that expressed the points discussed by students through interventions on technological waste, excessive use of social media, disconnection from the real world, social pressure exerted by networks (digital well-being), privacy, and other issues.

The results described by the educators were impressive; the growth of digital literacy among the young people involved in the process was intense and occurred organically. The discussion even involved and engaged families.

Conclusion

Digital literacy can be both engaging and meaningful for young people, regardless of their educational context. Training of Trainers empowers educators from various backgrounds to address this topic effectively. Furthermore, this exchange enriches the work of those already involved in technology education. Connecting these different educational environments is a powerful strategy for expanding digital literacy among youth.