Digital innovation and youth resilience: opportunities to overcome barriers and gaps in mental health and entrepreneurship

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

The Youth Resilience Activity (YRA) from USAID and ACDI/VOCA in Colombia is an innovative approach aimed at empowering youth in high-risk environment, to be agents of positive change in their communities. Over the last five years, this Activity has covered 30 municipalities in Colombia, supporting youth with diverse vulnerabilities, such as migrants and victims of gender-based violence. With a comprehensive approach, the Activity engages families, schools, communities, public and private sectors, and other key actors to strengthen resilience and maximize access to socioeconomic opportunities.
YRA understands youth resilience as a process of adapting to adverse situations as well as developing protective factors to overcome obstacles and lead healthier and more meaningful lives. To this end, the Activity is based on the principles of USAID’s Positive Youth Development Strategy (PYD), which focuses on strengthening the individual skills of young people, generating opportunities and experiences that amplify their agency in favor of their personal growth and commitment to change in their immediate environments.
The Activity acknowledges the multiple barriers and risks faced by youth from vulnerable populations, affecting both their resilience and their life projects. The Activity’s intersectional approach, reflected in its Gender, Intersectionality and Social Inclusion Strategy (GISI), promotes the inclusion of people from diverse youth populations and uses strategies to overcome the multiple obstacles that differentially affect women, people of ethnic origins, victims of the armed conflict, members of the LGTBIQ+ community, people who have interrupted their education trajectory, people with disabilities, among others.
In the face of these barriers, the Activity involves diverse actors to build and sustain youth life projects, as well as to strengthen their personal resources and foster social, economic and cultural initiatives. In this sense, youth resilience involves an understanding of the different systems in which youth are involved, providing a systemic and socio-ecological understanding that includes youth, families, schools, communities, organizations and government.
In this context, the Activity proposes to implement a Resilience Pathway for each youth, with the objective of strengthening their life skills and providing them with technical tools to boost their economic empowerment. Recognizing the territorial differences as well as social and digital gaps, the Activity has firmly integrated innovation and technology in these processes, thus responding to one of the most urgent challenges of our time.
The incorporation of technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), in employment training, entrepreneurship and job placement has been one of the Activity priorities. By establishing alliances with key players in the technological field, the relevance of these “new tools” to open doors to experiences and knowledge has been proven, improving the quality of life of youth who previously had no access to alternatives and had lost hope.
This approach is being developed in 10 municipalities, with the support of 4 allies, through initiatives such as “Emprende con Inteligencia Artificial”. This project seeks to enhance the digital skills and entrepreneurship spirit of youth, incorporating AI and other emerging technologies in their training. This does not just respond to the demands of the modern market, but also addresses gaps in training and employment by providing training tailored to the specific needs of youth entrepreneurs, including virtual training and digital certifications that facilitate access to knowledge and opportunities, even in territories with connectivity limitations.
This effort strengthens the digital and entrepreneurship competencies of youth, preparing them for a dynamic and sustainable working future. In an increasingly digitized world, the digital revolution presents both challenges and opportunities, and it is essential to share experiences and adaptations that support youth learning and development. Youth Resilience, enhanced by technology, becomes a fundamental pillar to face the challenges of the future with confidence and capability.
The proposed panels will deepen into the Activity’s experience by integrating digital tools in the processes of psychosocial accompaniment and youth economic empowerment, not only as a complement to face-to-face training, but also as a key strategy to overcome digital gaps, using platforms such as Moodle. Challenges related to unequal access to technology among youth in different territories will be analyzed, as well as the solutions implemented to close these gaps, such as training in digital skills and access to platforms adapted to low connectivity locations.
Furthermore, specific cases will be presented where the use of digital tools has allowed broader coverage and impact of interventions, ensuring that youth, even in remote areas, can benefit from the accompaniment. The panel will highlight how these technological solutions have contributed to the sustainability of the Activity, facilitating the continuity of psychosocial and economic support processes beyond physical and time limitations, promoting a more flexible, accessible and lasting intervention over time.

Sub Unit

• Youth Development and Education SIG

Chair

• Enrique Maruri, ACDIVOCA

Individual Presentations

• From vulnerability to economic empowerment: the role of technology in youth inclusion - Enrique Maruri, ACDIVOCA

• Measuring youth resilience to transform perceptions and opportunities. - Ana karla Gonzalez