· Videoactivism Academy
Project report & open curriculum
20 young people from Slovenia and Croatia learned to make videos that push back against hate speech, polarisation and disinformation. Here is how it happened, and how your organisation can run it too.
- 20 participants
- SI + HR
- 4-day Boot Camp
- 6 months of mentoring
- Closing event
Who took part
- 20 young people aged 18 to 30, ten from Slovenia and ten from Croatia
- Some already active in NGOs, civic initiatives and student groups, some just starting out
- From cities and rural areas, with different backgrounds, identities and experiences
- All of them wanting to use video for positive social change
How it happened
- Phase 14 days, in person
Boot Camp
The group spent four days in workshops, lectures, discussions and hands-on work with mentors and guest influencers, and developed their first ideas for digital counter-narratives.
- Active citizenship & European values
- Hate speech, fact-checking, prebunking
- Message design
- Video & sound production
- Phase 26 months, online
Mentoring
Monthly online meetings, a Discord community, guest lectures and continuous work on their own content. Participants shared drafts, got feedback, improved their videos and published them.
- Monthly mentoring calls
- Feedback on Discord
- Guest lectures & good practices
- Publishing their own videos
- Phase 31 day, in person
Closing event
Participants gathered again in person for a round of closing remarks, evaluation and reflection. Motivational speeches by guest lecturers, experienced videoactivists.
Participants reflected on what they learned and received certificates naming the competences they gained.
What participants learned
- 01What digital active citizenship means
- 02The core European values
- 03How to spot hate speech, polarisation and toxic narratives
- 04Narratives vs. counter-narratives vs. positive alternatives
- 05Prebunking: exposing manipulation before it lands
- 06How to shape a clear, inclusive message for an audience
- 07Recording and editing vertical video and sound
- 08How to assess their own growth
Formats they tried
Low-budget and DIY: a clear message, creativity and authenticity mattered more than an expensive studio.
- Vlog
- Podcast
- Explainer
- Live stream
- Political satire
- Vox pop
- Dialogue
- Rant
- Sketch
Open curriculum
The lesson plans we used at the Boot Camp, free for youth organisations, schools and NGOs to run themselves.
- Ready to runEach module is a 90-minute session with a step-by-step flow, discussion prompts and group activities.
- Easy to adaptShorter and longer versions, and examples you can swap for cases from your own country.
- Tested with young peopleDeveloped and run with 20 participants from Slovenia and Croatia.
Political Contexts and Digital Ecosystems
How algorithms, memes and the attention economy shape political reality, and how to use video activism without getting played by it.
- Attention economy
- Memes as Trojan horses
- Clicktivism
From Hate to Change: Counter-Narratives in Action
Spot the harmful stories that shape public opinion, and learn to answer them with facts, context and dignity instead of insults.
- Narratives
- Emotional triggers
- 5-step counter-narrative
How and Why Satire Works
Why humour gets through when the news doesn't, and how to use satire to challenge power without punching down or spreading fakes.
- Irony & exaggeration
- Punching up
- Case study: Prime Time
Short-Form Vertical Video for Digital Activism
Six formats, one structure (Hook → Core → Call to Action) and the platform rules you need to turn a message into a video people don't scroll past.
- 6 video formats
- Hook → Core → CTA
- Platforms & shadowbans
Interested in the programme?
Run it on your own, or bring in the people who made it.