Hi! (Is Us) Project Presentation "History is Us!"

The "History is Us!" Project aims to:

- Address the generational digital divide present in Italy through digital literacy courses for adults aged 67+ who have reached retirement age and, according to 2021 statistics from Plan International and Bocconi University, are the most excluded from access to the digital realm of social and democratic life.

- Enable broader access to global information through digital literacy, fostering greater participation in democratic life and building a more European society.

- Create audiovisual stories as a process of individual engagement and collective enhancement, serving as a meaningful collection of life stories.

- Bridge Italy's gender gap in the use of digital tools, according to Eurostat data, a gap that widens with age.

The Expected Outcomes of the "History is Us!" Project include:

Men and women aged 67+ trained in the use of digital multimedia technologies and web platforms (social media sites, etc.), enabling the creation of:

- Biographical testimonies;
- Social media visibility;
- Online visibility.

These outcomes will be measured through:

- Questionnaires and surveys;
- Testing of acquired and strengthened skills by participants through a guided self-assessment form;
- Satisfaction with the training program via a guided questionnaire;
- Reduction of the digital gap among participants through short- and medium-term guided evaluations;
- Improved technology skills of participants, assessed through participatory observation.
In line with the priorities of the Erasmus+ Program for adult education, the "History is Us!" Project addresses the digital divide of older generations in Italy and the risk of exclusion from active citizenship. It does so through digital audiovisual products that aim to broaden dissemination and participation. These products are inclusive, featuring subtitles for the hearing impaired and multilingualism for cultural integration.

The Target Group of the "History is Us!" Project includes:

Men and women residing in Italy aged 67+ who are part of the population segment excluded from active digital life. These individuals face challenges in digital and media literacy, creativity, personal expression, security, cybersecurity skills, intellectual property issues, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Specifically, in line with the transversal priority of inclusion and diversity, the beneficiaries are those who:

- Live alone and require alternative communication channels, particularly in cases where family members are distant, especially in terms of health;

- Have an elementary or middle school education (according to ISTAT 2023 data, the likelihood of dying from illness for someone with low education is much higher than for a graduate; such individuals also face relational difficulties and challenges in using services now provided via the internet);

- Have an income of 0 or are disabled (low income is one of the causes of health inequality in Italy, as those with low income often forgo preventive and specialist care);

- Are women (according to 2021 statistics from Plan International and Bocconi University, women experience the digital gap the most).

There are multiple motivations for conceiving, writing, presenting, and implementing the "History is Us!" Project.

 
First, European and active citizenship education is a primary goal of the initiative promoted by the partnership, focusing on one of the most timely and valuable topics: Feeling like European citizens.

Second, the project builds a humanist memory that tells life stories of European citizens. It thus promotes awareness of the diversity of trans-European memories and strengthens the results achieved by the EU in raising public awareness of the past, developing a European "culture of memory" (European Historical Memory 2013).

Third, it recognizes the importance of lifelong learning (LLL) and implements it here for adults.

Fourth, it contributes to the development of the ten competencies of digital citizenship as outlined in the Digital Citizenship Education Handbook:

- Access and inclusion;
- Learning and creativity;
- Media and information literacy;
- Ethics and empathy;
- Health and well-being;
- Digital presence and communication;
- Active participation;
- Rights and responsibilities;
- Privacy and security;
- Consumer awareness.
It follows the 2020 Action Plan adopted for greater cooperation at the European level on digital education, particularly on: 

- Increasing training in digital skills for workers and consumers;

- Leveraging digital technologies for learning and for the recognition and validation of skills.

Fifth, it adheres to the EU digital strategy, which recognizes that, in an era when digital technology is changing people's lives, such transformation must benefit citizens, while contributing to achieving the goal of a climate-neutral Europe by 2050.

The "History is Us!" Project provides solutions to meet the needs of the Target Group by:

- Enhancing individual growth and civic activism with a lifelong learning (LLL) perspective;
- Promoting digital citizenship, skill development, and awareness of rights and network rules through a replicable methodology with an innovative approach;
- Strengthening institutional and social communication as essential tools for concrete democratic participation. It leverages technology to foster civic awareness and dialogue between institutions and members of civil society, especially those excluded from this specific participation.
In Italy, there is still a high percentage of men and women who have never used the internet. What does the "History is Us!" Project aim to do?
- Combat the marginalization of those who live alone and need alternative communication channels, particularly in cases of health issues;
- Address the difficulties in preventing and managing illness among those with low education levels;
- Combat health inequalities in Italy caused by low income, which often leads to forgoing preventive and specialist care;
- Achieve Goal 5 of the 2023 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Italy, one of the European countries where women are least digitalized;
- Develop a collective memory ("Training Memory") with new forms of expression and creativity through the production of specifically biographical digital content to share and collect for future generations.

In order to truly achieve the aforementioned goal, all the activities outlined above are taken one step at a time together. The strength of this Step by Step operational approach lies in the value of change, achieved jointly at every level. This is a crucial element, even at the impact and follow-up stages, well beyond the sixteen (16) months in which the "History is Us!" Project is implemented. Awareness of this is crucial for all involved participants. Passion, willpower, and the drive for change guide every moment of the implementation of this innovative project idea, which is also valuable as a good practice at a methodological level.

In conclusion, from a perspective of transversal skills (Soft Skills), Lifelong Learning (LLL), and Learning by Doing, the project concretely supports those who truly wish to Learn to Learn.

The "History is Us!" Project is carried out through a European PARTNERSHIP. The official English translation of the project title is "History Is Us!", with the acronym HI! (is us). For more information, visit the bilingual (ITA-ENG) website www.historyisus.eu or email info@historyisus.eu.