Topic 2: Getting Involved In Your First Digital Civic Engagement Project/ Initiative

This topic covers how to get started with one ‘s own digital civic engagement project. The learning outcomes of this topic are to understand how they will be able to create their own digital civic engagement project and how to make the first steps to become an established project. The case studies will provide real life examples of how civic engagement projects have become established.

 

Taking the First Steps Towards Your DCE Project/Initiative

We have learned about different aspects of partaking in a DCE project throughout these modules. But how exactly do we take the first steps to starting a DCE project?

The first step is to work out who will be in charge of your DCE project, and who will be organizing it.

How you will work this out is how it will be initially organized.

There are two main ways that a DCE project can be led.

1. Student led DCE projects are where the students are the main project organisers and are key in making the decisions for the DCE project.

2. Lecturer or university led projects will be led by a third level institution and will involve the students to contribute to civic engagement activities. However, the key responsibilities of the project will be within the third level institution.

Find out more in our Guide to DCE

 

How to Get Involved with DCE?

How a DCE project is organised is important to take the first steps within yout project.

Throughout our case study research, we found that there are several ways that students can become engaged in a DCE project:

• Mandatory participation occurs when a student has to become involved within a DCE project as it is part of the course that they are studying. 
  This approach varies from institution and country, but generally students who had to participate on a mandatory basis did so as part of a module of a course.
• To Volunteer for a Cause
  Many students will volunteer to help a cause and that will be their reason for joining a DCE project. Volunteering can take many different forms and depending on where you live,  there can be a lot of different ways to volunteer.
  Some students want to volunteer to help people and better their community- whereas other students volunteered to meet new people and for the experiences.  
• For Participants to Gain Experience in Relevant Skills
  Another reason that students get involved in a DCE project is the relevant skills and competencies that are developed when one participates in a DCE project. These skills are relevant to both the student in the future and for their personal development.
  We have seen in Module 1 and 2 of these OERs that many competencies from the EntreComp and DigiComp frameworks are developed when a student is civically engaged.
• Out of Necessity to Fix a Problem
  Another primary reason that students may want to partake in a DCE project is to fix a problem that they have recognized in their community.
  ​​​​​​​Within our SDCE research, we found that some DCE projects were developed to help students find solutions to problems.

 

How to Start a DCE Project?

Once you have decided on your reasons for joining or starting a DCE project, you need to work out next what opportunities are available to you either locally or through your University.

If there isn’t a DCE project near you that suits your requirements, think about starting your own one!

• Creating a DCE Project from the Beginning
  For many students, there might not be very many opportunities in civic engagement, and you would like to create your own project rather than join an existing one. But how does a student do this?
  Firstly, don’t be afraid to ask for help! Find a group of likeminded people who have the same passion as you- it will help to ensure that the project is a success!
  Similarly, ask lecturers or your Student Union for advice too. Find out more on the next page!
• Finding People that Can Help
  Similarly, you can also ask around your university for advice too! A lecturer who might be involved in a different Civic Engagement project might be able to give you some tips on how to get started in your university. They may be able to connect you to other lecturers which have expertise in the field that you have chosen.
  Your local Student’s Union should also be able to help you. They will be able to highlight local opportunities that might already be available, and they may help you to connect to like minded students.
• Joining a DCE Project as a Volunteer
  You may want to become involved in an existing DCE project to see what it is like!
  Your University may have existing volunteering programs available – ask around your University to find out what you can do!
  You can also search online to find out what volunteering opportunities may be available to you. For example,  Ireland has an excellent volunteering database which highlights opportunities within different regions.
  Check out I-Vol, Ireland’s national volunteering database by clicking on this link
• Joining a DCE Project as it s Mandatory
  Finally, you may also join a DCE project as it is a mandatory part of the course you are studying.
  While this may mean that you do not get much say in how and why you are joining the project, it will also give you much experience that will allow you to build your own DCE project from this experience.
  Similarly, joining from a mandatory will also enable students to gain contacts that may help them set up their own DCE project.

Quick test