UNESCO YouthMobile

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Teaching young girls and boys to create mobile apps for sustainable development.

"Did you know? The next 1 billion new internet connections will be from mobile devices in the hands of
young people from developing countries."

The YouthMobile Initiative builds on the experience of many worldwide initiatives that introduce young people to computer science programming (learning-to-code) and problem solving (coding-to-learn). It also seeks to build on experiences targeting young women who are vastly underrepresented in this field. Finally it builds on the consideration that for millions of young people, the smartphone in their pocket is a very powerful computer, it will be their only computer, and they use it for nearly every aspect of their lives: communicating, learning, taking pictures, and playing games.

With this new initiative UNESCO and its partners strive to provide young people with the high-level skills and confidence to develop, promote, and sell locally relevant mobile apps that solve local issues of sustainable development and provide employment.

NEW BROCHURE

YouthMobile - Teaching young people to create mobile apps for sustainable development

English

French

Who benefits from YouthMobile?

Youth and Youth organizations

Informal learning opportunities for youth to engage in society and earn livelihoods as mobile app entrepreneurs. ICT-enabled youth organizations creating a sustainable pool of trainers, support staff, and mentors.

Secondary School Students

Acquiring high-level 21st century skills and confidence to develop/promote mobile apps to resolve local issues of sustainable development.

Teachers and Principals

Teaching a new, innovative course in mobile apps development, acquiring ICT-pedagogy skills, connecting the school to other schools nationally and globally.

How?

By supporting local and international initiatives

- training young people, building on the experience and best practices of many worldwide programmes introducing computer science programming and problem solving.

By training teachers and youth organisations

- developing the capacities of teachers and telecommunication advocates and raising awareness about the potential of mobile phones in everyday life for all.

By linking mobile app competitions

- organizing competitions on sustainable development issues and encouraging trained students to submit their apps for prizes, recognition, and employment opportunities.