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Young Baltic Minds

YOUNG BALTIC MINDS: Initiative for Youth Media Literacy training and Digital Awareness

The project aims to strengthen youth resilience against disinformation and promote democratic participation in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania by empowering youth educators and young people through interactive and intense media literacy training program, educational toolkit and digital awareness campaign.

The project will establish a sustainable network of experienced trainers who will develop local youth media literacy training programs and will deliver a series of 21 tailored on-site media literacy training seminars in different regions to equip over 525 young people (age 14 – 20) with critical thinking, fact-checking, disinformation detection, hate speech counteraction and digital citizenship competencies, strengthening their resilience towards disinformation, promoting their involvement in active citizenship and ensuring they can navigate the modern information environment safely and responsibly. 

The project will also conduct the first joint youth media literacy research across the Baltic region, providing evidence-based insights to tailor educational interventions and inform policy developments. 

 

Project title in English: Young Baltic Minds: Initiative for Youth Media Literacy training and Digital Awareness

Project identification number: 101253286 — YOUNG BALTIC MINDS

Implementation period: 19.01.2026.-18.01.2028.

Project coordinator: University of Latvia, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences 

Project managers: Dr. Klinta Ločmele and Sintija Lase (administrative manager)

Partners: NGO Development platform YOU+ (Latvia), Latvian Youth Workers’ Association (Latvia), Estonian Youth Workers’ Association (Estonia), Association of Estonian Open Youth Centers (Estonia) and NGO Youth Personal Development Centre (Lithuania). 

Funding: 330 085 EUR

Funder: EU “Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme” (CERV)

Gender equality, non-discrimination, and accessibility will be integrated throughout all activities, ensuring inclusive participation and addressing gender-dimensions of disinformation. Through structured training, youth engagement, and cross-sector collaboration, YOUNG BALTIC MINDS will foster critical media skills, civic empowerment, and sustainable resilience to disinformation, offering concrete, scalable solutions to European challenges — particularly vital in the current geopolitical context.

Disclaimer: The project is funded by the European Union via Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

The project has 25 work packages with national and international events in different regions: 

  1. Baltic Training of trainers on media literacy in Latvia (TOT1) [UL Report ­– EDS]
  2. Media literacy training for young people in Latvia, Vidzeme I – CESIS (T1LV) [UL Report–EDS]
  3. Media literacy training for young people in Latvia, Kurzeme I – LIEPAJA (T2LV) [YOU+ Report–EDS]
  4. Media literacy training for young people in Latvia, Vidzeme II – VALKA (T5LV) [YOU+ Report–EDS]
  5. Media literacy training for young people in Latvia, Kurzeme II – KULDIGA/VENTSPILS (T9LV) [YOU+ Report–EDS]
  6. Media literacy training for young people in Latvia, Vidzeme II – MADONA/GULBENE (T4LV) [YOU+ Report –EDS]
  7. Media literacy training for young people in Latvia, Zemgale I – JELGAVA (T7LV) [YOU+ Report–EDS]
  8. Media literacy training for young people in Latvia, Latgale I – DAUGAVPILS (T6LV) [LYWA Report–EDS]
  9. Media literacy training for young people in Latvia, Latgale II – REZEKNE (T8LV) [LYWA Report­–EDS]
  10. Media literacy training for young people in Latvia, Latgale III – JEKABPILS (T3LV) [LYWA Report­–EDS]
  11. Media literacy training for young people in Estonia, Harju County – TALLINN (T1EE) [ENK Report­–EDS]
  12. Media literacy training for young people in Estonia, Võru county – VÕRU (T4EE) [ENK Report­–EDS]
  13. Media literacy training for young people in Estonia, Ida-Viru County – TOILA (T3EE) [ENK Report­–EDS]
  14. Media literacy training for young people in Estonia, Tartu County – TARTU (T2EE) [AEYC Report­–EDS]
  15. Media literacy training for young people in Estonia, Pärnu County – PÄRNU (T5EE) [AEYC Report­–EDS]
  16. Media literacy training for young people in Estonia – KURESAARE (T6EE) [AEYC Report­–EDS]
  17. Media literacy training for young people in Lithuania – VISAGINAS (T1LT) [JATC Report­–EDS]
  18. Media literacy training for young people in Lithuania – ŠALČININKAI (T2LT) [JATC Report­–EDS]
  19. Media literacy training for young people in Lithuania – ŠVENČIONYS (T4LT) [JATC Report­–EDS]
  20. Media literacy training for young people in Lithuania – VILKAVIŠKIS (T5LT) [JATC Report­–EDS]
  21. Media literacy training for young people in Lithuania – KLAIPEDA (T6LT) [JATC Report­–EDS]
  22. Media literacy training for young people in Lithuania – KELMĖ (T3LT) [JATC Report­–EDS]
  23. Young Baltic Minds follow-up networking meeting ONLINE [UL Report­–EDS]
  24. Baltic research on youth media literacy results’ presentation ONLINE [UL Report­–EDS]
  25. Media literacy training for youth workers, educators and librarians in RIGA (TOT2) [UL Report­–EDS]

Best practices on media literacy collected during Training of Trainers on media literacy (TOT1) in Riga April 2026: 

TOOLKIT for media literacy educators will be developed during the project.

RESERCH on youth media literacy skills will be implemented across the Baltic States.

Project partners

The University of Latvia (UL) is the largest university in Latvia (since 1919), involving about 15 000 students annually in more than 100 state-accredited academic and professional study programmes. UL also produces about half of Latvia's research outputs, conducting research in more than 50 subjects, engaging in about 900 projects, attending around 1000 international conferences, and publishing over 800 papers in peer-reviewed journals. 

UL Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences (UL FESS) is important player in shaping media policy as its lecturers and professors are recognized communication experts in Latvia, including in the media literacy field. Their expertise is demonstrated through close cooperation with professional fields and their academic leadership in multiple bachelor’s and master’s level courses on media literacy and information resilience. They are actively involved in national and international research projects. In cooperation with the Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences, during 2023/2024 school year, they provided media literacy guest lessons in 84 schools in Latvia for more than 3700 students. Between 2020 and 2023, experts and students from the Department of Communication and Information, actively participated in the implementation of the IREX Baltic Media Literacy Program (funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by IREX aiming to strengthen media literacy and resilience against disinformation in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania). As a result of this program UL adapted a media literacy escape room game for approximately 700 university students, developed of an original collection of media literacy lesson plans for teachers and organized a highly attended Media literacy Winter School of Excellence for master's level students. 

The UNESCO Chair on Media and Information Literacy at UL (established in 2015 and renewed in July 2022) continues its work in promoting media and information literacy. Through the implementation of research projects, it contributes to the realization of UN General Assembly resolutions and UNESCO strategies in the field of media and information literacy.

NGO Development platform YOU+ (YOU+) is one of the strongest and largest youth organizations in Latvia. Based in Liepāja, YOU+ is working with active and talented young people and young people with fewer opportunities. YOU+ helps local youth to implement their ideas through the non-formal education and EU provided opportunities. YOU+ daily activities include supporting and mentoring youth, coordinating voluntary work in Liepāja, coordinating Eurodesk information network of the West region of Latvia and organizing local activities and projects. In the last 4 years, YOU+ has implemented more than 300 events involving about 5000 young people. These activities include more than 200 local youth trainings, more than 30 local and international projects and has involved more than 1000 active members that are developing the future projects and local community. 

More: www.youpluss.lv

Latvian Youth Workers' Association (LYWA) works towards strengthening youth work in Latvia by promoting its quality, visibility, and public understanding. It seeks to strengthen democracy by advocating for the interests of youth workers and developing a support system for youth work implementation. LYWA unites professionals, enhancing their skills, and advocating for their interests. Through its democratic governance and commitment to ethical principles, the association fosters a sustainable and supportive environment for youth work development across Latvia. One of the current key initiatives of LYWA, is the development of a Code of Ethics for Youth Workers in Latvia, which will serve as a guiding framework for youth workers nationwide, ensuring a unified approach to ethical conduct and professional integrity in the field. Through this work, LYWA has already gained experience in policy making, stakeholder engagement, and capacity-building, contributing also the youth work professionalization in Latvia. 

More: www.facebook.com/ljda.lv 

The Estonian Association of Youth Workers (ENK) unites about 430 members – professional paid youth workers and youth work volunteers across Estonia. ENK is active in the advocacy of youth workers, development of youth policy and youth work, increasing awareness for better recognition of youth work, supporting the professional growth of youth workers, which means organizing training and seminars, developing learning materials, offering mentoring and coaching, developing quality of youth work, lobbying for benefits for youth workers etc. ENK is active in developing youth work, especially finding ways to present and develop innovative youth work methods and environments, also in international cooperation projects and by collaboration within different networks and by hosting international students’ placements. ENK has participated in the development of national and European youth policies, being an active partner for the Ministry of Education and Research of Estonia, taking part in consultations on youth work and youth policy on national and international levels, doing active networking with other organizations across the country and the world. ENK has been participating in the development of training and manuals for youth workers for decades and is dealing with recognition and promotion of youth work, including the development of occupational standard of a youth worker, providing youth work quality assessment for municipalities, and assessment tool development. 

More: www.enk.ee/eng

Association of Estonian Open Youth Centers (AEYC) is a nationwide umbrella organization connecting approximately 260 youth centers in Estonia since 2001. AEYC aims to support local and national partnership activities between the members. The association is supporting new and established youth centers, analyzing the current situation and needs of youth centers, supporting youth workers, organizing seminars and training, introducing new methods in youth work, arranging information exchange between different parties, and sharing ideas and inputs for national youth policy. AEYC cooperates with state and local government, youth organizations in Estonia and abroad, and other institutions involved in youth work. AEYC develops local and international projects and partnerships shaping youth policy at the local and national levels. 

More: www.ank.ee/in-english/

NGO Youth Personal Development Centre (JATC) in Lithuania aims to develop the intercultural skills of young people, strengthen their relationships and citizenship, promote active participation in the community and to reinforce the foundational principles of active citizenship and foster cultural understanding among young individuals hailing from national minority municipalities and remote areas across Lithuania. JATC works towards tackling the challenges concerning intercultural youth engagement, especially within the border regions of southeastern Lithuania and around the segregation experienced by communities based on ethnic and linguistic lines. JATC target group is people who are working with young people (i.e. youth workers, librarians, teachers, NGO leaders, etc.). JATC has extensive experience in coordinating media literacy training events for youth. 

More: www.facebook.com/SocialinisSufleris