ImmuniFact is an Erasmus+ Small-scale Partnership in Youth (KA210-YOU) bringing together three organisations from New Caledonia, Spain, and Croatia to tackle one of the most pressing challenges facing young people today: the spread of disinformation and digital manipulation.
The project is led by Conseil de la Jeunesse Territoriale (CDJ Territorial) from Nouméa, New Caledonia, in partnership with Backslash from Valencia, Spain, and Udruga Zaželi from Zagreb, Croatia. Together, these three youth organisations combine complementary expertise in participatory youth work, digital innovation, media literacy, and inclusive education for young people with disabilities.
Why ImmuniFact?
Young people across our three territories are increasingly relying on social media as their primary source of news and information. In Croatia, 80% of young people report social media as their main news source. In Spain, 74% of youth admit to having believed fake news at some point. In New Caledonia, manipulated images and false rumours played a documented role in escalating tensions during the 2024 protests. At the same time, more than 60% of young Croatian citizens have never received any formal media literacy training.
The gap between high digital use and low critical competence leaves young people exposed to manipulation, polarisation, and hate speech with real consequences for democratic participation and social cohesion.
Our Approach: The Immunity Builder
ImmuniFact responds to this challenge with a methodology inspired by the concept of immunity. Rather than waiting until manipulation strikes, young people are safely exposed to weakened doses of disinformation tactics in a controlled learning environment. By practising how to spot these techniques, they build up cognitive antibodies — becoming more resilient when they encounter the same tactics in real life.
The methodology is built around two complementary approaches: prebunking, which anticipates and exposes manipulation techniques before they spread, and debunking, which focuses on fact-checking and correcting false content once it circulates.
What We Will Deliver
ImmuniFact will produce four main results:
- A Needs Analysis Report mapping the media literacy challenges, skills gaps, and learning preferences of young people and youth workers across the three territories
- An Innovative Learning Methodology combining prebunking and debunking activities, facilitation guidelines, and adaptation tools for diverse youth contexts
- A Media Literacy Compass — a digital assessment tool that classifies young people’s competences into five levels and provides tailored feedback and resources
- A pool of trained youth workers equipped to implement the methodology and cascade it to their peers through a structured Training of Trainers and in-country peer-to-peer training
Multiplier events in all three partner territories will ensure that results reach youth organisations, schools, municipalities, and policymakers beyond the immediate consortium.
Who We Reach
ImmuniFact will directly engage 120 youth workers and 150 young people aged 18–30 across New Caledonia, Spain, and Croatia. Priority is given to youth workers supporting young people with fewer opportunities, including women, early school leavers, NEETs, youth with migrant or refugee backgrounds, and those in rural or remote areas. Udruga Zaželi leads the accessibility dimension, ensuring all project outputs are inclusive and adapted to young people with disabilities, including deaf and blind youth.
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