Digital Story

On 21 April, the DIGITAL STORY project reached an important milestone in Vilnius, Lithuania, with a final international conference bringing together partners, practitioners and stakeholders from across Europe.

Co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme, the project has connected organisations in Lithuania, Ireland, Italy and Latvia over the past 18 months, exploring how storytelling and digital media can support young people, particularly in rural communities, to build confidence, develop skills, and express their voice and identity .

The conference created space to share the project’s results and practical approaches, with sessions from all partners covering local heritage, digital tools, inclusion, and youth engagement. We were also honoured to welcome Donalda Meiželytė, whose contribution highlighted the importance of supporting young people through creative and community-based initiatives.

Key project outputs were presented, including the Digital Story Guide for Youth and the Methodology & Activity Guide for Youth Workers, practical resources designed to support youth workers, educators and organisations to continue this work in their own contexts.

The conference also brought together a wide range of perspectives through discussion and exchange, exploring how digital storytelling can support youth employability, participation and opportunity across different settings.

Digital Story Guide for Youth: https://digitalstory.eduprojects.eu/digital-story-guide/

Guide for Youth Workers: https://digitalstory.eduprojects.eu/guide-for-youth-workers/

A significant moment in the project’s journey, and a strong foundation for how this work can continue and grow across communities.

On Monday, the 20th of April, partners from Lithuania, Ireland, Italy and Latvia came together in Vilnius for the final meeting of the Digital Story: From Community Building to Youth Employability project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme.

Hosted in the inspiring Bendruomenių namai, a space that truly reflects what strong, community-led work can look like in practice, the meeting focused on final preparations for the upcoming international conference and on a deeper reflection on the project's impact.

Over the past 18 months, this partnership has worked with young people, particularly in rural communities, to build confidence, strengthen digital and creative skills, and create space for them to express their voices and identities through storytelling. The impact is visible not just in the outputs, but in the skills, perspectives and connections developed along the way.

Alongside the meeting, we visited Balsių mitologinis parkas, a beautiful site connected to the Lithuanian project activities. We visited beautiful views of the surrounding landscape, a reminder of the local cultures and environments at the heart of this work.

It was also a special moment to see the Digital Story Guide for Youth in print across multiple languages: a shared output shaped by all partners and designed to support young people in exploring storytelling in their own contexts.

We're also pleased to share that the Methodology & Activity Guide for Youth Workers is now available online, offering practical tools and approaches for those working directly with young people:

Digital Story Guide for Youth: https://digitalstory.eduprojects.eu/digital-story-guide/
Guide for Youth Workers: https://digitalstory.eduprojects.eu/guide-for-youth-workers/

A full day of reflection, progress, and shared work, and an important step as the project moves towards its final stage.

🌿Memories of Oil: The Culture of Olive Oil and the Value of Collective Work

👉As part of the Erasmus+ project Digital Story (2024-1-LT02-KA210-YOU-000247320), coordinated in Italy by Tatics in collaboration with Feel Aspromonte, this video was produced by students of the Istituto Tecnico Economico “R. Piria Ferraris Da Empoli” of Reggio Calabria.

▶️ Click here to view the video: https://youtube.com/shorts/aAz6fNoVR4o
The video explores one of the most authentic symbols of Sant’Alessio in Aspromonte’s rural heritage: its ancient olive mill. The old mill is not only a place of production, but also one of the clearest expressions of the village’s agricultural tradition and identity.

🎯Through the Youth digital storytelling work, the video highlights the deep cultural and social meaning of olive oil production within the community. In Sant’Alessio, olive oil is much more than a local product: it is a symbol of shared knowledge, collective effort, and community life. The gestures, practices, and memories connected to the mill reflect a heritage that has been passed down through generations and that continues to shape the identity of the village.

🎥This video is therefore both a tribute to the culture of olive oil and a recognition of the value of collective work, community memory, and the living heritage of Sant’Alessio in Aspromonte.

Il frantoio di Sant'Alessio in Aspromonte Narrazione digitale nel Comune Sant’Alessio in Aspromonte (RC). MEMORIE DI OLIO: LA CULTURA DELL’OLIO E IL VALORE DEL LAVORO COLLETTIVO: L’antico frantoio di...

✨📣 You are warmly invited to the international conference “DIGITAL STORY: Youth, Community, Cultural Heritage”! 🌍📚🎤

Come and join us for an inspiring and meaningful event where we will talk about young people, storytelling, community, and cultural heritage 💬🧑‍🎓🏡✨
Let’s explore together how digital storytelling can help young people build confidence, creativity, identity, and skills for life and work 📱🎬💡

📅 Date: 21 April 2026
🕙 Time: 10:00–13:00
📍 Venue: Vilnius Balsiai Progymnasium, Bubilo g. 8, Vilnius

✅ Free participation
📜 Certificate will be issued
🗣️ The event will be held in English
🔄 Interpretation into Lithuanian will be provided

You will hear inspiring speakers, practical ideas, and good examples from different countries 🌟🌐
The conference will bring together partners from Lithuania, Latvia, Italy, and Ireland 🇱🇹🇱🇻🇮🇹🇮🇪 and will focus on youth inclusion, self-expression, motivation, and learning through digital tools and local stories 🤝🎥🧠💬

👉 Registration is required:
https://digitalstory.eduprojects.eu/international-conference-in-lithuania-invitation



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🎥✨ Discover Sant’Alessio in Aspromonte through the eyes of young storytellers!

44 students from the Istituto Tecnico Economico "R.Piria Ferraris Da Empoli" Reggio Calabria took part in a training and experiential journey across the places, traditions, and living heritage of Sant’Alessio in Aspromonte, thanks to the collaboration of Tatix, Feel Aspromonte and the School. 🌿🏘️

This video is the result of this project activity: a digital storytelling experience in which students transformed what they discovered into stories made of videos, images, audio, and texts to promote the local cultural heritage. 📱🎬
Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uFViqP9jno&list=PLIixxCEUeac-GFyc4JYxpNUtMvYYQxivn&index=1

Through the videos created by the youth, it is possible to explore the many authentic experiences that Sant’Alessio has to offer, including:

🥖 A journey into bread culture, between memory and awareness, with Rocco Morena of the artisan bakery Il Fornaio di Maria Serranò
🫒 Memories of oil, discovering the culture of olive oil and the value of collective work through the village’s ancient olive mill
🧀 The slow art of cheesemaking, with Azienda Agricola Marra, experiencing the flavours, aromas, and values of Aspromonte pastoral life
💧🌾 The ancient mill, stories of water and grain in one of the most evocative places in the village
🍝 The ferretto tradition, making handmade pasta with Tania and Nunziatina, sharing stories, recipes, and secrets passed down through generations

These digital stories show how Sant’Alessio is a place where heritage, community, nature, and tradition come together to create meaningful and memorable experiences. ❤️

I segreti di Sant'Alessio in Aspromonte Narrazione digitale nel Comune Sant’Alessio in Aspromonte (RC): alla scoperta di Sant'Alessio - un borgo ricco di identità e bellezza nascosta. Nell’ambito d...

🇱🇹✨ News from Lithuania!

🎬🌿 The second Erasmus+ project Digital Story training sessions for young people have already taken place and 28 participants joined us! 🎉🙌 The workshop was held by Balsių bendruomenė.

💡📖🎥 During the workshop, we created stories inspired by the sculptures in Balsiai Mythological Park and turned these ideas into short video clips. It was a creative and exciting time full of imagination, teamwork, and storytelling magic.

We hope to share the videos created by the participants with you very soon! Stay tuned — more is coming shortly. 👀✨

A sincere thank you to Vilniaus „Santaros“ gimnazija for the warm cooperation and support. 🤝

Follow our page Digital Story and be the first to see the results!

Our Digital Story project is coming close to its beautiful final chapter 📖✨💛
In online meeting, we once again felt how much can happen when people from different countries come together with shared ideas, open minds, and warm hearts 💻🌍🤝

This project has been much more than meetings and activities — it has been a story of creativity, friendship, learning, and meaningful moments together 🧡✨📚🎬
Step by step, story by story, we have created something very special, and we are proud to see how far we have come together 🌟😊🙌

In April, we are looking forward to our final conference in Vilnius, Lithuania 🇱🇹🎉
It will be a wonderful moment to share our results, celebrate our work, and look back at the memories, ideas, and experiences that brought us here 🎤📸💫

Would you like to join us? Please do not hesitate to contact us 💌😊
We would be very happy to welcome everyone interested in our project and its results 💙🌍✨



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Our story in the 🇪🇺 Erasmus+ project Digital Story is reaching its final chapter.
📖✨ Today’s meeting was a reminder that every good story needs a strong ending and now we’re focused on closing all remaining activities and finishing every last task with care ✅🧩🗓️

Only 2 months left, but the spirit is high 💪🔥 Together, step by step, we’re bringing everything to the finish line 🏁🎬🙌

Stay tuned to get all updates from us! 👀📲💬✨

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2025 ended with our second youth digital storytelling training in Latvia! 🤩💪

16 motivated and original youngsters participated in the Digital Storytelling workshop where they
👉 got to know eachother and made teams
👉 learned about digital storytelling, digital tools, as well as tips & tricks to make their stories engaging
👉 tested their skills in practical tasks
👉 made their digital stories including cultural heritage elements of Valmiera

Workshop was an inspiring and recharging event for youth and us the same! ✨💡