Project Implementer – VšĮ Edukaciniai projektai

 

The project “My Decision – My Responsibility” is designed for young people aged 14–16 in the city of Šiauliai. The project aims to strengthen young people’s critical thinking, conscious decision-making, resilience to disinformation, and ability to act responsibly in today’s information environment.

Today’s young people encounter a large flow of information every day through social media, the media and the public sphere. Some of this information is fragmented, emotional, biased or even misleading. Therefore, it is important for young people not only to know how to use digital channels, but also to be able to critically assess what they see, read, hear and share with others.

The project invites young people to look at decision-making as a process influenced not only by facts, but also by emotions, environment, authorities, social pressure and other people’s opinions. Through interactive, practical and creative activities, participants will learn to recognise signs of disinformation, manipulation and emotional influence, distinguish facts from opinions, notice thinking errors, and form their position in the public sphere more responsibly.

During the project, a shortened interactive educational programme will be developed and adapted for implementation in 3 classes/groups. It is planned that at least 60–75 young people will participate in the project activities.

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Project aim

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To strengthen the critical thinking and conscious decision-making skills of young people aged 14–16 in the city of Šiauliai by developing their resilience to disinformation and emotional manipulation, and by encouraging responsible participation in society.

Main project activities

The project activities will focus on practical learning, discussion, reflection and youth engagement. Instead of a broad programme of activities, a shortened and focused educational programme will be implemented, with the main emphasis on the most important skills related to critical thinking, information assessment and responsible communication.

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1. Introductory interactive activity “YES / NO / I DON’T KNOW”
This activity will help young people reflect on how their decisions are influenced by emotions, environment, authorities and other people’s opinions. Participants will respond to various statements, make individual decisions, and then take part in a moderated discussion and reflection.

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2. Practical activity “What Is Being Done to My Mind?”
This activity will focus on the analysis of real information examples or examples specially selected for educational purposes. Young people will learn to recognise signs of disinformation, manipulation, emotional influence and distortion of facts, as well as distinguish facts from opinions.

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3. Game-based activity “Catch the Error”
This activity will introduce participants to the most common thinking errors and their impact on decision-making. Using examples, situations or cards, young people will learn to notice logical inaccuracies, emotional distortions and flawed patterns of argumentation.

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4. Creative activity “If This Were About Us”
This activity will encourage young people to create public messages on topics that are relevant to them. Participants will analyse the difference between responsible and manipulative communication, present the messages they have created, and discuss how information can shape opinions and influence decisions.