Tuesday 10 February 2026
Heart of Midlothian FC Innovation Centre, Edinburgh
Ben MacPherson, Minister for Higher and Further Education
Young people talk about AI.
Dr Alicja Pawluczuk and Cristina Bacalso, Include Plus Network.
To what extent are everyday practices of digital youth work [in]visible in the UK policy landscape? This exploratory study aims to map the current features of the UK digital policy ecosystem and identify coverage gaps related to digital youth work in the UK. It serves as a call to action for the digital youth work sector to become more visible in policy agendas that increasingly focus on digitalisation, skills, and inclusion.
Alex Hutchison, ForrData.
Vicki Ridley and Emma Kyles, YouthLink Scotland.
Emma and Vicki from the No Knives Better Lives team at Youth Link Scotland will share information on their work to tackle online violence between young people. Come along and hear research insights, find out about resources that are already available and understand more about what you can do to support young people to stay safe, act safe themselves and contribute to making social media a more positive place to hang out.
Ryan McKay, Citadel Youth Centre and Les Ellis, Cromar Future Group.
Join the youth workers and young people from the Our Futures and AI project to unpack the new AI and Youth Work toolkit and hear about the outputs from the youth-led research into AI. Young people from Aberdeenshire and Leith have led the way on this project which has involved inputs from technology company Sopra Steria, lead educators Digital Skills Education, the Scottish AI Alliance and YouthLink Scotland with funding from the Include Plus Network.
Emma Williamson, Wishaw YMCA.
Emma, Digital Development Lead at Wishaw YMCA and founder of Brave Esports shares how esports can be a really powerful tool in youth work. It’s not just about playing games – it’s about engaging young people, building digital and life skills, and helping them work together and gain confidence. Emma draws on experience with the Wishaw YMCA Esports Academy, the Y Esports Project, the Circuit Project, and Brave Esports to show how structured esports programmes can create meaningful learning experiences and real outcomes for young people.
Think expo marketplace and science centre all rolled into one. Use your workshop time to browse and take part in a range of digital youth work activities and opportunities. Take part in a coding activity, pick up new resources, find out more about film making, connect, discuss, and share. Repeats in the afternoon.
Join a round table discussion about the themes and activities that should be shaping Digital Youth Work now and in the future. How do we respond to young people’s needs in this area and what are the skills that they need to thrive in a our rapidly changing digital world? And how do we make sure that everyone is included? Liz Green, YouthLink Scotland and Lotte Vermeire, PhD researcher in communication sciences at imec‐SMIT, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in Belgium. Lotte’s research looks into digital youth work, digital inclusion and the intersection with data literacy. Since 2020 she has been involved in national and European projects that zoom in on digital youth work best practices, and developed building blocks, guidelines and policy recommendations for digitally inclusive youth work settings.
Ainsley Carnarvon and the team from the Hearts Innovation Centre.
Come and explore what happens at the Heart of Midlothian Innovation Centre. Find out about their approach to digital youth work, hear about how their work is helping young people to develop the digital skills they need to thrive online. Practice sharing with practical application time.
Jess McBeath, Online Safety Consultant.
Join Jess McBeath for a bit of personal reflection and critical thinking. Explore how the apps you choose influence your level of safety and security online and take time to apply your own experience to the youth work context. Consider the impact of emerging technologies on our digital lives. This workshop is a mix of group work and personal reflection time.
Matt Backall, Space Youth Services, Devon.
Explore the design of wellbeing services for young people and how it does and doesn’t translate into the online world. Matt will share information about Space Youth Services online youth club and the pitfalls of presuming all young people are the same. If you are interested in digital wellbeing and the importance of youth voice and codesign in online services, this is the one.
Think expo marketplace and science centre all rolled into one. Use your workshop time to browse and take part in a range of digital youth work activities and opportunities. Take part in a coding activity, pick up new resources, find out more about film making, connect, discuss, and share. Repeats in the afternoon.
Join a round table discussion to explore the current debate around young people’s use of social media. What can youth workers do to improve young people’s experience of the online world? What resources do we need to do that better? How do we start meaningful conversations with young people about their online lives. Come and take part in the discussion, with Hilary Phillips. Digital Youth Work lead at YouthLink Scotland.
Digital Skills Education.
The Unbelievably Creative AI Show is a fun, interactive show that gets young people thinking critically – and creatively – about the future of AI, art, and human imagination.
The show has been attended by over 2,000 young people from across the country. It’s been seen at Dynamic Earth as well as Science Festivals, university campuses, The Lowry in Salford, and even the Royal Society. We’ll give you a run through of what the show is, why we made it, and what we’ve learned about young people’s attitudes to AI and creativity.
Then you’ll get a taste of how it feels to be a young person taking part in The Unbelievably Creative AI Show. The Unbelievably Creative AI Show – Digital Skills Education.
Tim Frew, CEO, YouthLink Scotland.