A new project involves 500 older people and 300 students across Rome’s 15 boroughs to promote safety, independence and active citizenship
Recognising a scam attempt on WhatsApp, protecting one’s personal data, using online public services safely, and distinguishing reliable information from manipulated content. These skills are becoming increasingly important for participating fully in social life and exercising one’s rights. They can also provide opportunities for intergenerational interaction and learning. This is the idea behind Intergenerational Community for Digital Inclusion and Safety, the new project by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS, selected as part of the Roma Capitale call for proposals to promote digital literacy and social inclusion.
The initiative is one of the 24 winning projects, presented on 4 November at the Campidoglio by Mayor Roberto Gualtieri, with total funding of 1.75 million euros. The programme involves schools, associations and community centres in various neighbourhoods across the city, with a particular focus on areas characterised by greater economic and social vulnerability. The initiatives range from tackling bullying and early school leaving to preventing fraud, right through to programmes promoting inclusion and civic participation.
A community learning together
The Fondazione Mondo Digitale project will involve 500 older people and around 300 secondary school pupils, through 400 hours of training delivered across the capital’s 15 municipal districts, in collaboration with the Social Centres for Older People and the Neighbourhood (CSAQ) and municipal institutions. The activities will be organised in small groups, using a practical approach centred on smartphone use. Young people and older adults will work together, supported by digital facilitators, through practical exercises, simulations of everyday situations and opportunities for discussion. The educational model emphasises the reciprocal nature of the exchange: students share their familiarity with digital tools and languages, whilst older people contribute their experience, knowledge and ability to interpret social relationships and contexts. Both generations thus play a part in building a culture of responsibility and respect, including in online environments.
From online scams to artificial intelligence
The training programme is divided into four modules, each consisting of a two-hour session featuring theoretical and practical activities. It begins with the prevention of digital scams, teaching participants how to recognise suspicious messages, fraudulent requests for money, attempts to steal data and manipulative techniques. It then explores the responsible use of WhatsApp and social media, with a particular focus on disinformation, privacy and respect in online communication. A third module is dedicated to digital autonomy in everyday life: from digital identity to healthcare services, from social security procedures to electronic payments. The course concludes with OverIA, a workshop on artificial intelligence that will help participants understand its main applications, recognise generated or manipulated content, and discuss the opportunities and risks of new technologies. The training will be accompanied by digital support sessions, during which students will work alongside facilitators to address the participants’ practical needs.
Twenty-five years of digital inclusion
This new project builds on the experience gained by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale over 25 years of working towards digital inclusion and digital citizenship. From the landmark Nonni su Internet programme, which has trained over 60,000 older people with the involvement of 30,000 students, to the most recent digital facilitation initiatives carried out across the Rome metropolitan area. With this new initiative, the prevention of online risks is intertwined with access to rights, personal autonomy and the strengthening of local community ties. Schools and social centres become venues for an educational and civic partnership, in which respect for the law is also learnt through shared experiences and everyday behaviour.
