Smart Youth - Smart Choice« workshop»

The «Smart Youth - Smart Choice" project is dedicated to raising young people's awareness of the resource consumption and environmental impact of smartphones and other electronic devices. The project aims to develop a comprehensive educational offering for educational establishments and youth organizations. Particular emphasis is placed on the smartphone, which symbolizes today's consumption of electronic devices and shapes young people's daily lives.

Today, smartphones are an indispensable part of young people's lives, which is why this project is specifically aimed at them. Young people aged between 12 and 26 will be made aware of the ecological and social challenges linked to the use of smartphones through workshops and educational material. The aim is to raise their awareness of the fact that the production of these devices is often linked to considerable environmental impacts, such as the extraction of raw materials, energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Social impacts, including poor working conditions in producing countries, particularly in the Global South, will also be addressed.

A particularly innovative aspect of the project is its modularity and the digital availability of the resources, facilitating their integration into a variety of in-school and out-of-school educational programs. Workshops include interactive exercises, digital learning maps and visual aids such as world maps and infographics. A wide range of topics will be covered, from resource consumption and energy efficiency to the circular economy and appliance repairability. A special module will address what happens to old smartphones when they are thrown away, and how young people can help extend the life of phones and encourage their reuse.

In addition to imparting knowledge, the project places a strong emphasis on opportunities for concrete action. Used handsets will be collected for charitable causes. In addition, young people will be encouraged to use their phones for longer, to buy second-hand devices or to pay attention to repairability when buying a new smartphone (see also the Oekotopten guide and the list of cell phones).

In addition to secondary schools, all youth facilities (e.g. youth centers) and youth organizations (e.g. scouts or other youth associations) can also apply to take part in the workshop. The modules can be adapted to priority topics such as energy saving, resource conservation or climate protection.