From Digital Skills to Digital Awareness: PRISMA Network at the 2nd European Forum on Digital Citizenship Education

09-06-2026

As part of our commitment to fostering a resilient, transparent, and media-literate European community, the PRISMA Network recently participated in the 2nd European Forum on Digital Citizenship Education (DCE) in Strasbourg.

Organised by the Council of Europe, this high-level international gathering brought together policymakers, researchers, educators, civil society organisations, and young people from across Europe to explore the intersection of education, democracy, and digital citizenship.

Represented by our member organisation Turning Learning (The Netherlands), PRISMA engaged in crucial dialogues examining how Europe is preparing for a future shaped not only by artificial intelligence, but by a society where human intelligence, critical thinking, and active participation are more vital than ever.

 

Shifting the Paradigm: Beyond Skills to Critical Awareness

During the forum, one message stood out clearly: Europe is entering a new phase of education. For years, the focus was primarily on basic digital skills, media literacy, and online safety. Today, the challenge is far more fundamental: how do we prepare young people for an era where artificial intelligence, algorithms, and complex digital ecosystems increasingly influence democracy, the economy, and daily life?

Over three days, participants explored how technology can actively contribute to democracy, human rights, social cohesion, and equal opportunities. Rather than viewing technology as an end in itself, the forum positioned Digital Citizenship Education as a broader, systemic movement aimed at strengthening democratic resilience, human-centred innovation, and active public participation—core values that sit at the very heart of the PRISMA Network’s mission.

 

Youth as Co-Creators of the Digital Society

One of the most inspiring insights concerned the evolving role of young people. Increasingly, they are no longer viewed simply as passive consumers of technology, but as active co-creators of our shared digital society. This perspective closely aligns with the European Youth Agenda, which recognises young people as vital partners in shaping an inclusive, sustainable, and democratic future.

As AI fundamentally changes how knowledge is created, shared, and validated, education must shift away from mere knowledge transfer toward judgement, critical reflection, and responsible decision-making. When AI can generate text, images, and automated analyses in seconds, uniquely human qualities become our most valuable assets.

 

 

Addressing the Changing News Landscape: The Role of OSINT

The latest Reuters Institute Digital News Report highlights a trend that the PRISMA Network tracks closely: young people increasingly access information through social media platforms, video channels, influencers, and AI systems rather than traditional news outlets. As alternative information streams grow in influence, new questions arise about how future generations assess reliability, truth, and bias.

This is precisely why Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) deserves a prominent place on the European education and youth agenda. In a world of AI-generated content, deepfakes, and algorithmic manipulation, the ability to verify sources, fact-check data, and critically investigate digital content is no longer just a technical skill for experts—it is an essential civic competence.

Through our work at PRISMA, we advocate for OSINT to be viewed as a cornerstone of modern democratic participation. Young people must understand how information is constructed, how algorithms shape what they see, and how to protect themselves and their communities from disinformation and synthetic content.

Strengthening Human Intelligence

The Council of Europe demonstrated that the future of education is ultimately not about technology itself. The real challenge is empowering a generation that understands technology, questions it critically, and uses it responsibly.

The most important takeaway from Strasbourg is that the challenge of this century is not only to develop Artificial Intelligence, but above all to strengthen Human Intelligence and civic capacity. Together, AI awareness, OSINT methodologies, and Digital Citizenship Education can help us achieve precisely that.

 

A practical example from The Netherlands

A wonderful example of why this work matters, can be found in the student presentations we attended this week at the Keizer Karel College in Amstelveen.   (The Netherlands). Students presented research projects carried out in collaboration with Justice for Prosperity. The projects explored how democratic processes can be strategically influenced and undermined through coordinated networks, substantial financial resources, and sophisticated influence campaigns. The quality of the research, the depth of analysis, and the students’ ability to critically assess information were both impressive and encouraging. It was inspiring to see young people engaging with complex societal challenges and developing informed perspectives on the world around them.

Through Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), data analysis, and field research, Justice for Prosperity and the teaching teams of the Keizer Karel College guided and supported students in exploring issues related to disinformation, societal manipulation, and threats to democratic societies. In doing so, they helped strengthen digital awareness, democratic resilience, and critical thinking skills. Their work is highly relevant to current European discussions on digital resilience, media literacy, democratic citizenship, and the development of critical thinking among young people. We are therefore particularly pleased to be exploring collaboration with the Keizer Karel College and Justice for Prosperity to help place OSINT, digital resilience, and critical information literacy more firmly on the Dutch and European Education agenda. Our sincere thanks to all students, Mr. Robin Mobron, Ms. Orkide Bull, Mr. Daan Blokker and Mr. Jelle Postma for the inspiring session, their dedication, and their valuable contribution to building a safer, more informed, and more resilient future for the next generation.

Acknowledgements

We extend our sincere thanks to all attendees for the inspiring encounters, valuable conversations, and promising collaborations that reinforce our collective vision for a safer digital Europe.

A special thank you to Mr. Ahmet Murat Kilic, Ms. Milena Nahapetyan, and the entire team at the Digital Transformation Unit, Education Department of the Council of Europe, whose dedication made these three days truly memorable. We look forward to continuing these vital collaborations within the PRISMA Network framework.