Last week, CONNECT International and Out of the Box International organised Virtual Feels Real Conference, a conference dedicated to learning, discussion, networking, and exchange on digital violence, online risks, and the role of educators and social workers in creating safer digital spaces.
The event brought together educators, social workers, youth workers, practitioners, civil society representatives, and stakeholders working with vulnerable groups. The conference focused on the real-life impact of online harm and the urgent need to bridge traditional social work with the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
The afternoon opened with a welcome moment and summer drinks, followed by the presentation “Equipping Educators: Introducing the Virtual Feels Real Solutions.” Participants were introduced to the Virtual Feels Real Training Kit, a free and practical resource developed for adult educators and social services practitioners working with migrants and minority communities.
The T-Kit provides knowledge, tools, and frameworks to help educators recognise online harm, respond to it in practice, and build digital resilience in the communities they support. It includes four structured modules:
- Understanding the Digital Landscape
Exploring how digital platforms are designed and how they can amplify harm. - Navigating Online Risks & Safety
Offering practical casework tools, including a triage framework, platform reporting guidance, and an incident documentation log. - Digital Literacy & Empowerment
Supporting educators to build critical digital skills with learners, including a 6-step verification framework and adaptation tools for diverse groups. - Innovative Methodologies in Digital Social Work
Addressing trauma-informed practice, ethical dilemmas, boundary-setting, and organisational responsibility in digital social work.
The resources include worksheets, checklists, scenario cards, session planning templates, adaptation cards, and practical response tools. They are available in English, Serbian, and Portuguese and are designed to be flexible, editable, and easy to use in different educational and social work settings.
A key moment of the event was the panel discussion “Different Screens, Same Issues,” General Manager of Connect International; Senior Trainer at Libero; and media literacy expert at the European Center of Excellence.
The discussion explored the everyday challenges faced by social workers, educators, and vulnerable communities online. Speakers reflected on cyberbullying, digital discrimination, online hate speech, AI-generated misinformation, deepfakes, algorithmic bias, and the specific online risks young people face today. The panel also addressed what practical AI media literacy can look like for educators and social workers, and how professionals can help vulnerable communities critically evaluate online content and protect themselves from AI-driven harms.
The event concluded with a Digital Education Fair, networking, food, and informal exchange, giving participants the opportunity to explore digital education practices and continue the conversation in a relaxed setting.
We would like to warmly thank everyone who joined us, contributed to the discussion, and helped make the Virtual Feels Real Conference a meaningful space for dialogue and collaboration. Your participation reinforces the importance of working together to make digital environments safer, more inclusive, and more responsive to the needs of vulnerable groups.
The Virtual Feels Real project is implemented by the consortium: Descomunal (Portugal), Connect International (Belgium), Libero (Serbia), and OTB Europe (Portugal).Learn more about the project here.