The kick-off meeting of SUM-Seniors United against Misinformation, a new European project funded by the Erasmus+ program and dedicated to strengthening the digital skills of those over 65, took place in Barcelona on October 28 and 29 at the Fundació Bofill Social HUB.
The coordinator is Mediawijs, Flanders' centre for media and digital literacy hosted within IMEC, a leading European research centre on nanoelectronics, microchips and digital technologies.
This location allows to merge pedagogical and advanced technical knowledge, ensuring the methodological stability of the project. SUM has started from the realization that older adults today represent a group particularly exposed to misinformation, online scams and digital vulnerabilities.
Developed in a first phase under the CERV programme, SUM had produced a toolkit, which had also been tested in a pilot of the URBACT Digi-Inclusion project.
The general aim is top guarantee to that segment of population the tools to actively participate in a social and democratic life, enforcing critical thinking, digital inclusion and the ability to judge online sources. SUM second phase has three precise objectives: to build an European cross-sectorial net in order to co-produce and update useful tools against mis-information; to educate senior volunteers through Training of Trainers (ToT) programs; to endure DMIL (Digital, Media and Information Literacy) competences through peer-to-peer laboratories guided by the previously trained volunteers.
During the kick-off, the partners worked together on the original SUM model, sharing experiences and good practices and starting the model adaptation path, that it’s going to be updated in multiple languages and tested in Belgium, Italy, Czech Republic and Spain.
Lepida takes part to the project bringing its own experience with digital education for adults, territorial network facilitation and managing of digital inclusion initiatives.
Lepida, in particular, will support the organization of local activities, cooperating with the associations and volunteers that work with elderly people. Starting from 2026, Lepida will participate in the activation of peer-to-peer laboratories, aiming to get 150 participants in Emilia-Romagna, supporting a learning model based on the centrality of senior volunteers.
The combination of peer-to-peer approach, active volunteering and collaboration between social organisations and technology centres is one of the most innovative elements of the project.
The Barcelona meeting launched a path that can help build more informed and inclusive communities, valuing the role of older people as a key resource in combating misinformation and strengthening civic participation.
