Open Group, as a member of the ALL DIGITAL network and one of the Summit hosts, is proud to welcome you in our beautiful Bologna for the 2019 edition of the ALL DIGITAL Summit.

We are sure that, thanks to all the network, the experience will be interesting and full of stimuli as always, and we will do our best to make it pleasant and to let you know at least a little about our city.

Open group is a new social enterprise founded in 2014. It is comprised of three social cooperatives that have been active for three decades and that are tied together by a vocation towards innovation. Communication, Education and the use of Media (both analog and digital) have always been a part of who we are.

The digital media, in our opinion, is a powerful channel, which can be used to promote advocacy. In addition, it’s an instrument that can influence and promote change in communities.

We firmly believe that the development of digital culture and the acquisition of specific skills can promote progress and growth that should be accessible to all citizens.

We think that in order to live in our present time, to have a better grasp of our surroundings and a firmer sense of awareness, the acquisition and development of one’s digital competences is of paramount importance. The aim of this endeavor is to seize new opportunities and further our understanding of what new generations need.

With the term “digital competences” we refer not only to the technical component, but also to the relational, social, critical and reflective aspects. The ethical dimension is essential to create a digital space that is both safer and easier to access.

In 2015 Open group got in touch with the ALL DIGITAL network and joined it in 2016. These two events have been a powerful push towards the endorsement of our mission. The same points of view and objectives, the acceptance and the generosity of the ALL DIGITAL network have made it possible for us and every component of this system to engage in a common process of comparison and development. This process is aimed at   sharing between managers, e-facilitators and other stakeholders of the network. It also gives us the possibility of being a key player at European level to better support our workers and those to whom our services are dedicated.

Today ALL DIGITAL with its 60+ affiliated organizations and a sturdy structure, which includes staff and an independent board, is an important actor at European level. This network is an example for other European organizations on how to build a generative and participatory movement for European digital development.

To achieve this goal, Open Group has structured an internal staff called “e-bit”, which across the different sectors of intervention encourages the professional development of its staff and the growth of services which are offered to different targets in terms of digital skills.

The multiple initiatives implemented can be grouped into four areas of intervention:

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP

Its aim is to develop initiatives that tackle the reduction of social exclusion. These programs specifically target the users for whom the digital media might be a viable channel towards inclusion or to reduce social exclusion. An example of this can be the development of autonomy in people with disabilities, children whith learning disorders, the elderly or migrants.

We are currently collaborating with the regional project “Pane e Internet”, a project born in Emilia Romagna, which is currently working towards the development of digital skills of citizens. Another project is “Coliblite” which, differently from the one mentioned above, is striving to promote a system between schools, libraries and local NGOs to promote the development of digital abilities for those populations who are more at risk of being marginalized.

EDUCATION FROM CHILDHOOD TO ADULTHOOD

The development of digital skills is divided into activities that are specifically calibrated depending on the age group and on the developmental phase of the target population. These interventions range from activities aimed at early childhood, for children and families alike, to activities intended for caregivers, such as online and peer to peer consulting and development of digital entrepreneurship.

An example of this are “Trenino 3.0.” which is a kindergarten where digital education for children has already been established, and “abc Digitale” which is a platform of educational projects aimed at different age groups and articulated in alignment with DigComp.

DIGITAL MEDIA AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Based on the DigComp framework and what is stated in the EntreComp, we plan to develop activities designed to guide and train high school students. In addition, in collaboration with Open Formazione, we provide the same services to adults who are undertaking the path of reintegration.  In collaboration with LegaCoop Bologna we have developed the first experimental application of the EntreComp framework in a cooperative model.

Examples: the development of cooperative entrepreneurship with “Vitamina C” and “Grafene”, a project realized thanks to the collaboration of Open Formazione and the contribution of Fondazione del Monte, that helps vulnerable people to develop resilience through digital and soft skills.

HEALTH AND DIGITAL MEDIA

We are working towards the development of digital skills; we believe them to be a means of protection, and specifically of prevention against addiction both of substance and of digital media. This particular area of work is characterized by projects that have been development both off and online.

Examples include:

• “il Paese delle Meraviglie”, a project that was created by the city of Bologna and which specifically targets middle schools’
• “Drugadvisor”, a platform made in collaboration with the Emilia Romagna region and addiction services, is tailor-made to meet caregivers needs regarding the topic of young adults and substances.
• Another project is “Fentanil”. In collaboration with the Region, with the services for addictions and regional coordination of street units, this project promotes the creation of alliances, in a digital environment, between consumers and institutions. Its objective is to increase the health levels of consumers and citizens.