Living Labs for Media Resilience: From Critical Thinking to Community Action in Bucharest

How can young people become more resilient to misinformation rather than simply learning how to identify whether a single piece of content is true or false? And how can youth workers create spaces where young people are not only learners, but active participants in developing solutions?

These questions were at the centre of the “Living Labs for Media Resilience” international training, held in Bucharest, Romania, from 23–28 August 2026. The five-day programme brought together 27 youth workers, educators and youth-work practitioners from 16 European countries to explore Living Labs as a participatory methodology for strengthening media literacy, critical thinking and civic engagement among young people.

Moving from media literacy to media resilience

The programme started by building a common understanding of the challenges young people face in today's information environment. Participants explored youth participation and media literacy, as well as the differences between disinformation, misinformation and manipulative narratives.

An important focus throughout the training was the idea of moving beyond media literacy towards media resilience. In an environment influenced by misinformation, AI-generated content, polarising narratives and algorithm-driven information consumption, knowing how to check information is important, but it is only one part of the challenge. Young people also need the confidence and critical-thinking skills to question the information they encounter and participate actively in shaping healthier information environments.

Participants therefore worked with practical approaches to fact-checking and verification and explored how to develop participatory activities through which young people themselves can investigate issues, exchange perspectives and contribute ideas.

What is a Living Lab?

A central part of the training was dedicated to understanding and experiencing the Living Labs methodology. Rather than approaching young people only as recipients of information or educational activities, a Living Lab creates a participatory environment in which they can explore a real challenge, contribute their own experiences and perspectives, co-create possible responses, test ideas and reflect on the results.

The methodology fits particularly well with non-formal youth work because the facilitator provides the framework while participants actively shape the learning process. The training itself followed this principle through experiential learning, simulations, peer exchange, prototyping and daily reflection.

Participants first explored the preparatory phase of a Living Lab before taking part in Living Lab simulations. They then developed their facilitation skills for co-creation and prototyping, gradually moving from understanding the methodology to considering how it could be applied with young people in their own communities.

Connecting the methodology with the real world

The programme also took learning outside the training room. Participants visited Funky Citizens, a local media organisation in Bucharest. The study visit provided an opportunity to connect discussions about media resilience, civic participation and misinformation with practical work taking place in the local context. It was followed by a reflection and field-visit debrief, allowing participants to connect what they had observed with their own youth-work practices.

Peer learning was another important part of the programme. With practitioners representing 16 countries, participants could compare experiences, approaches and challenges from different national and local contexts. The programme also included an NGO fair where partner organisations introduced their work, creating space for networking and future cooperation.

From international training to local Living Labs

The training did not end with learning about the methodology. The final stage focused on turning the experience into concrete local action. Participants worked on designing their own Living Labs and considered how the methods explored in Bucharest could be adapted to the needs of young people in their communities. The aim is for participants to return home prepared to organise local Living Labs or pilot activities, document their results and continue exchanging experiences through peer support.

By combining media literacy, civic participation and participatory co-creation, the training demonstrated that responding to disinformation does not have to be limited to teaching young people how to recognise false information. It can also mean creating spaces where young people investigate the challenges affecting them, discuss different perspectives and take an active role in developing possible responses.

The Bucharest training therefore represented an important step from learning about media resilience to putting it into practice. The next step will take place within local communities, where participants will transfer the Living Labs approach into activities with young people and continue building media resilience through participation, experimentation and collective action.

TRUTH4YOUTH – Digital Disciplined Citizenship

Project No. 101252921 — TRUTH4YOUTH — CERV-2025-CITIZENS-CIV

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.