Escaping Disinformation: From Experience to Civic Dialogue

The project addresses the growing impact of disinformation and polarising narratives among young people in Slovakia. According to European data, more than half of young people are regularly exposed to misleading or false information online, while only a minority feel confident in their ability to recognise it. This challenge is further reinforced by declining trust in media and public institutions, which weakens the quality of public discourse and increases vulnerability to manipulation.

At the same time, formal education systems often struggle to keep pace with the rapidly evolving digital information environment. Existing approaches to media literacy tend to focus on theoretical knowledge, with limited opportunities for students to engage with real-life scenarios or to actively explore how disinformation is created and spread. As a result, young people lack practical skills to critically evaluate information and respond to it.

The project responds to this gap by introducing an experiential, participatory approach that allows students to engage directly with the mechanisms of disinformation. By combining media literacy with interactive learning, the project aims to make these complex issues more tangible, relevant, and understandable for young people.

The project aims to engage at least 180 secondary school students in the co-creation and implementation of an escape room activity focused on media literacy and critical thinking. Building on a previously tested pilot, the project will further develop this concept into a structured, transferable methodology that can be used in different educational settings.

The project will begin with the selection of participating schools and the refinement of the escape room concept based on previous experience. This will be followed by a series of workshops in which students, including members of student councils, will actively participate in developing scenarios, narratives, and tasks. This participatory process strengthens both ownership and understanding of the topic.

In the next phase, the methodology will be tested and further refined, including input from an international partner with expertise in disinformation. The final stage will focus on implementation in schools, supported by facilitated sessions and reflection activities.

The main outputs will include a tested escape room methodology (including scenarios, tasks, and a facilitation guide), implemented educational activities, and communication outputs such as videos and visual materials.

The project will lead to improved media literacy and critical thinking skills among participating students, enabling them to better recognise, analyse, and respond to disinformation in their everyday digital environments. Through active participation in the co-creation and implementation of the escape room activity, students will gain practical, experience-based understanding of how information is constructed, framed, and manipulated. This hands-on approach supports deeper learning and strengthens their ability to engage in informed and responsible public discourse.

The primary beneficiaries are at least 180 secondary school students, as well as teachers and student councils directly involved in the project. Students will benefit from experiential learning that increases both their awareness and confidence in dealing with complex information environments. Teachers will gain access to a structured and practical educational tool that can be integrated into formal or non-formal learning settings, along with new methods for engaging students in the topic of disinformation.

Secondary beneficiaries include other schools, youth organisations, and education professionals who will be able to use and adapt the developed methodology in their own contexts. By ensuring that the outputs are accessible, transferable, and easy to implement, the project supports wider dissemination and uptake beyond the initial group of participants.

In the longer term, the project contributes to strengthening resilience to disinformation among young people, supports the development of critical thinking as a core competence, and promotes more active and informed participation in democratic processes. These results will be measured through pre- and post-activity assessments, participant feedback, and monitoring of engagement levels.