This project has received funding
from the European Union's Horizon 2020
research and innovation program
under grant agreement No 101005931
> Learn more about Citizen Science
in Horizon Europe Partnerships
About the YouCount - Youth Citizen Science project
Many countries have concerns about high youth unemployment, migration, or emigration. Given that unemployment increases the risk of poverty by up to 60%, youth unemployment rates point to significant societal challenges in several European countries, along with increased risks of being socially excluded and more significant gaps in educational achievements. Social exclusion affects young European citizens' well-being and social welfare. This can create a lack of trust in governance and social belonging. The challenges of social exclusion accentuate the importance of finding mechanisms that can improve young peoples' situations and shape more cohesive societies across the EU.
YouCount aims to generate new knowledge and innovations to increase the social inclusion of youth at risk of exclusion across Europe through co-creative youth citizen social science. Overall, YouCount targets two strands of inquiry:
- knowledge about social inclusion and how to create social change through the involvement of young citizen scientists and
- contributing to the scientific knowledge base for Youth Citizen Science for increased scaling.
The YouCount project focuses on young people who are most at risk of marginalization in poverty, migration, disability, low education, unemployment and disenfranchisement. The project acknowledges that young people are a diverse group of citizens, and many possess essential resources for local innovation and development. YouCount will focus on social inclusion, which is understood as equal opportunities for youth participation in society, and will elucidate social participation (e.g., work, education and social life), connectedness & social belonging, and citizenship and rights.
Our Contributions in the Horizon 2020 YouCount - Youth Citizen Science Project
Creating a Citizen Social Science App Toolkit
In the YouCount Project, we contribute our long-term experience in creating and running Citizen Science Apps to the design process. We develop an interactive Citizen Science App Toolkit for the project with a GEO coordinates related approach and feedback/survey dialogue for the participants with hierarchical data classification options. For better usability and adaption, the project's App includes advanced features like data visualization, push messaging for a direct communication level between the science team and the participants, and a social community toolkit, which creates interactivity and exchange.
The technical development phase focuses on a multi-language component and enables the communication between the various participatory target groups for better impact and user inclusion.
Our team provides constant support with regular App updates throughout the whole project. A high level of compatibility, security, and stability is ensured, which is especially important in the fast-changing environment of mobile technology.
Development of the YouCount's Project Identity, Website, and Dissemination Materials
We developed and set up the materials for effective communication and dissemination of the project, including a project identity and interactive homepage with a responsive design based on an Open Source CMS.
The Project Identity
To capture the vision of YouCount, we created the 'Project Identity Guidelines' to assist all partners involved in the YouCount project. It provides an overview of the design elements (logo, color scheme, typography) that make up the YouCount identity system and presents guidelines for working with them. Notes and examples demonstrate how these elements can be combined to communicate a consistent identity that represents the YouCount project.
The YouCount Logo
We created the Project Logo with flexibility in mind. The YouCount Logo displays three human icons. It symbolizes the individual character of a human being and the dynamic of a group by using a color gradient as a connecting element. Using a multi-color and dynamic logo approach, a brand does not lose something but gains something: flexibility, the possibility to evolve, and playfulness - which reflects the YouCount project identity.
A Website for Youth Citizen Social Science
Within the work package "Dissemination, exploitation, and communication" we provide a modern, responsive website for YouCount, based on a Content Management System (CMS), that offers easy administration to the project's team. A blogging section allows all partners to create ongoing content contributions, report project activities, and post relevant updates. Our team assists the project with online workshops on how to work with these tools and on the various topics of the digital landscape.
To increase YouCounts public outreach, we also support the project's dissemination activities by the professional design of online media, social media teasers, posters, or hand-out material.
We are happy to offer our know-how. You are interested in our services within research projects, applying for Horizon Europe grants?
Read more about Citizen Science Cooperations for Horizon Europe