Participating in digital society – Homeless youth and the use of ICT
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Projekt UDENFOR is a Danish foundation that works with homeless youth and conducted a study on their use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). The study found that while homeless youth are digitally trained and use ICTs daily, they face challenges in accessing the internet from shelters or libraries. They are engaged with ICTs for personal uses but not for civic services. Projekt UDENFOR is starting a youth project to create spaces for homeless youth to express themselves through filmmaking and share their perspectives on homelessness to build social inclusion.
Participating in digital society – Homeless youth and the use of ICT
- 1. Working Group 5 Participating in Digital Society Homeless Youth and the Use of ICT Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness 8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic
- 2. Bibi Agger •Deputy Director for project UDENFOR. •Holder of a MA in Psychology and Social Science, as well as a Diploma of Leadership and Organisatonal Development. •ba@udenfor.dk Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness 8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic
- 3. Projekt UDENFOR •Projekt UDENFOR is a private foundation which combines active social street work with training and research in approaches to homelessness and social marginalisation. •www.udenfor.dk Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness 8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic
- 4. Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness 8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic Projekt UDENFOR •Practical work towards the individual on the street: Outreach work Ad hoc projects: Mobile Café, Migrant project, IT-project e.g. •Communication about homeless people & homelessness: Conferences, studies, etc Media Dialogue with politicians, decision- makers, etc
- 8. IT - Project •The lady you saw in the previous picture is an outreach worker in project UDENFOR’s “IT project”. It is an “ad hoc project” which started a year ago. •IT-project: Target group: Digitally and socially excluded from today’s society. Know many of them already. Few youngsters. Working on street-level, introducing computer technology & services to homeless non-users of IT. The homeless people involved in all the work on I-pads Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness 8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic
- 9. Projekt UDENFOR, IT and Digital Inclusion •Besides the IT-project we launched earlier this year, we did a minor study on the use of ICT among the homeless youth; ICT meaning Information, Communication & Technology. Grown un in a digital world (in contrast to the users of our IT-projekt). Facing the complications of being both ICT-user and homeless at the same time. Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness 8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic
- 10. The Study (Participants) •10 Interview participants •Age range: 18-29 •2 Women & 8 Men •4 Street sleepers (one former) & 6 sleeping in shelters •Challenged by complex overlapping problems, such as mental diagnoses, family problems, lack of supporting networks, daily drug or alcohol use and distrust of the social system •Almost none of them consider themselves to be “homeless” – but that they just happen to not have housing Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness 8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic
- 11. The Study (Analysis) •Conceptual framework: in order to be digitally included you to: Use ICT (skills) Have the physical equipment to use ICT (access) Find it meaningful for you to use ICT(engagement) Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness 8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic
- 12. The Study (Homeless Youth as Relatively Digitally-Included) •ICT-skills: Digitally trained Using ICTs in different ways ICTs are naturally, incorporated in everyday activities •ICT-access: Own mobile phones (at least, most of the time) Internet access in libraries, their shelters, or at friends Extra effort Weekly or daily use of Internet •ICT-engagement: Engaged in ICT? – Yes! Engaged in web-based civil services? - No Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness 8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic
- 13. The Study (Conclusions) •Reach out through ICT. •Digital inclusion is important for social inclusion – but does not necessarily lead to it. •Involvement and participation – starting point in engagement. Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness 8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic
- 14. Youth-project @ projekt UDENFOR •Creating new arenas of expression and development for homeless youths. •Establishing corporation with creative professionals and positive peers. •Offering workshops in storytelling and the making and sharing of films. •A mobile production-office, designed by the young participants themselves •Reflection of own lives •Ensuring first-person-perspectives on youth homelessness, enhancing participation of homeless youth in social debates. •Arranging a film-screening/seminar based on the film made by the young participants •Building bridges Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness 8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic
- 15. Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness 8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic Thank you for listening! Bibi Agger See more at www.udenfor.dk/uk www.facebook.com/UDENFOR