On October 14th, 2025, as part of the Erasmus+ Days celebration held in Soverato at the I.I.S. Guarasci-Calabretta Lyceum, third-year students, together with a group of French students visiting Soverato through the Erasmus+ programme, took part in a dynamic and interactive workshop titled ‘Fake News Busters.’ The event was organised by JUMP – Gioventù in riSalto, and formed part of a broader training module of the Erasmus+ project “Fake News Busters” focused on integrating innovative teaching methods and strategies around media and digital literacy.
The workshop unfolded in two main phases. In the first part, a facilitator from JUMP introduced students to the central theme: “Empowering society to combat fake news. The European Year of Digital Citizenship 2025”. Through a visually engaging presentation, students were introduced to the complexity of digital transformation, its opportunities and challenges, spreading awareness and acknowledging the need for media and digital literacy. The aim wasn’t only to define fake news but to encourage students to reflect on their own media habits and to begin to see themselves as active digital citizens capable of making informed decisions.
Midway through the session a second facilitator – in agreement with the presenter – interrupted the presentation, not to disrupt, but to stimulate. What followed was a lively and interactive exchange with the students. Rather than passively absorbing information, they were encouraged to rephrase key concepts, express agreement or disagreement, draw connections with other topics they were familiar with, and explain their own perspectives. This unexpected shift turned the room into an open forum for discussion, prompting students to actively listen, think critically, and articulate their views.
This activity was designed not only to reinforce the information presented but also to challenge students to question, analyse, and collaborate developing active listening and critical thinking.
The second part was dedicated to a collaborative activity that brought together everything the students had explored throughout the workshop. Divided into small groups, the students were invited to reflect on the discussion and translate their insights into action. Each group worked on drafting a list of ten concrete actions that their generation should adopt in order to become more conscious and responsible digital citizens. This final phase of the workshop encouraged creativity, teamwork, and a deeper internalisation of the key messages. To wrap up the session, each group presented their list to the rest of the class. The presentations sparked further discussion, as students compared ideas, asked questions, and debated which actions might be the most impactful or realistic.
This final moment of exchange reinforced the spirit of the workshop: that digital literacy is not a passive skill, but an active responsibility that requires awareness, dialogue, and commitment.
Author: Giusy Froio (JUMP Staff)
