In 2024, Youth Work Ireland launched an ambitious and innovative new project that is set to reshape how young people engage in digital spaces. Funded by Erasmus+, this initiative focuses on developing a Virtual Youth Service grounded in the core values of youth work: empowerment, participation, inclusion, and rights.
This trailblazing project is being led by The Digital Design Lab at TUS Clonmel, in close collaboration with Youth Work Ireland Tipperary and the Youth Work Ireland National Office, acting as the national partner. Together, they are working to create a digital environment that mirrors the values and safety of a physical youth club—providing young people with a secure and welcoming space to connect, learn, and grow.
Unlike commercial platforms dominated by large tech corporations, this Virtual Youth Service will not rely on ad-driven, data-mining models. Nor will it become an unregulated, potentially unsafe space. Instead, it is being built as a public good—a platform shaped by youth work principles and designed to empower young people rather than exploit them.
The project envisions a community-owned space, developed using open-source technologies, ensuring transparency, flexibility, and long-term sustainability. At the heart of the project is co-design. Young people will work side-by-side with youth workers, games designers, and educators to shape every aspect of this virtual environment. This collaborative model ensures that the platform is both relevant and responsive to the real needs of its users.
Special attention is being given to young people who are often marginalised or at risk of becoming isolated or radicalised in online environments. This new space will be designed to promote solidarity, inclusion, and positive digital citizenship—offering an alternative to the toxic and sometimes dangerous cultures found in other online spaces.
More than just a meeting place, this Virtual Youth Service will act as a repository for global citizenship education resources and activities. It aims to become a vibrant learning and engagement hub where young people can explore issues like human rights, climate justice, diversity, and international solidarity.
A key aspect of the platform is its commitment fostering cross-cultural dialogue, and supporting joint initiatives for social change. By creating shared digital spaces, young people from different parts of the world can come together to learn, collaborate, and act.
This project represents a bold step forward in digital youth work. By leveraging the power of technology through the lens of youth work values, Youth Work Ireland and its partners are creating not just a new platform, but a new vision for how young people can thrive in the digital age. As this project unfolds, we invite youth workers, educators, and young people across Ireland and beyond to get involved, share their insights, and help build a space where all voices are heard—and where every young person feels they belong.
