Digi-Wise

With 71% of children aged 10 to 14 in LMICs now using mobile phones, the rapid rise of misinformation presents a critical threat, as highlighted in the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2024. AI exacerbates existing risks to mental well-being, child protection, radicalisation, and more in the digital age. This leaves children vulnerable to manipulation and ill-prepared to navigate digital environments that they are increasingly engaging with.

A landscape scan conducted by EAA Foundation of existing interventions reveals that most high-quality solutions, though promising, fall short on key areas: they are rarely cost-free and open-source, require stable internet access and personal devices and are typically designed for a Western audience. Digi-Wise seeks to fill this gap by offering a learning experience for children that is cost-free, context-responsive, open-source, and offline-accessible in under-connected settings.  
Digi-Wise is an innovative learning experience for 11 to 14-year-olds designed by EAA and experts in the field to empower children to critically evaluate, consume, and produce content in the age of AI. Fostering digital literacy and critical thinking, it equips learners with the skills to navigate technology and social media responsibly, ensuring they thrive in an increasingly interconnected and information-driven world.

Digi-Wise is organised as modules, each containing about 4 to 5 lesson plans, each about 40 minutes long. The modules are focused on specific aspects of digital media and AI literacy, such as tackling misinformation, building fair social media algorithms, exploring self-esteem in the digital age, exploring AI and human rights, and many more. Some modules will be available for offline use and can be chosen and implemented based on needs and available resources. Local partners can contextualise Digi-Wise for relevance and diverse modes of implementation (in-school, out-of-school, etc.)

Projects:

• Digi-Wise: Cultivating Digital Intelligence in Peru