Young people
Teenagers aged 15–19 who want to strengthen patience, perseverance, focus, critical thinking and other skills that can support their personal development, education and future professional life.
DIG Project
About the project
Building the skills to choose the long term.
DIG — Delay Instant Gratification for a Better Life — is an Erasmus+ youth project designed to help young people strengthen patience, perseverance, self-regulation and other skills that support personal, educational and professional development.
Good things come
to those who wait.
to those who wait.
Why DIG?
Growing up in a culture of immediate rewards.
Digital environments make entertainment, information, communication and rewards available almost instantly. For teenagers, this can make waiting, dealing with setbacks and staying committed to long-term goals increasingly challenging.
DIG addresses the need to strengthen non-cognitive and meta-cognitive skills including patience, perseverance, critical thinking and willpower. These skills can support young people when setting goals, dealing with disappointment, solving problems and moving from adolescence toward adult life.
At the same time, youth workers need engaging and practical ways to work with young people on these issues. DIG therefore develops both learning experiences for teenagers and tools that youth workers can use in non-formal educational settings.
DIG is not about avoiding rewards. It is about helping young
people make more intentional choices when an immediate reward
competes with a goal that matters more.
What youth workers told us
The need is visible in everyday youth work.
During the project's needs analysis, 182 youth workers were surveyed about instant gratification and the skills young people need to manage it.
85%
said the desire for instant gratification causes significant problems for today's teenagers.
93%
considered non-cognitive and meta-cognitive skills important for school results, future opportunities and self-confidence.
77%
wanted training on how to work more effectively with teenagers on perseverance.
Who is DIG for?
Two target groups. One shared goal.
DIG supports young people directly while also equipping the adults who facilitate meaningful youth learning.
Youth workers
Youth workers, trainers and facilitators who need practical, innovative methods and resources for developing perseverance, reflective thinking and self-regulation with young people.
Project objectives
From an idea to practical learning.
DIG combines face-to-face non-formal learning with resources that can continue to be used in youth centres and online.
Develop innovative youth training
Create training for young people aged 15–19 focused on overcoming instant gratification through experiential learning and self-reflection.
Equip youth workers
Develop a practical training toolkit that helps youth workers implement DIG methods and activities in their youth centres.
Create an online learning resource
Provide motivational self-learning through short nano-learning units adapted to young people's learning preferences.
Put the methodology into practice
Implement and test the developed learning approaches in youth centres and through international youth mobility.
How DIG works
Experience. Reflect. Understand. Apply.
DIG uses active methods designed to make learning participatory, reflective and relevant to young people's everyday lives.
Kolb Experiential Learning
Young people learn through experience, reflection, conceptualisation and applying what they have discovered.
Reflective Writing
Writing and self-reflection help participants articulate thoughts, examine choices and develop greater self-awareness.
Theatre Methods
Participatory theatre creates a safe environment for exploring decisions, emotions, behaviours and alternative responses.
Nano-learning
Short online learning units make content more flexible, accessible and easier to absorb at an individual pace.
What DIG has created
Resources designed to continue beyond the project.
DIG combines research, educational content, training materials and open digital learning into a connected set of practical resources for young people and youth workers.
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Competency Matrix
A framework identifying competencies connected with delayed
gratification and youth development.
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DIG Educational Content
Practical learning content developed for use with young people.
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Train-the-Trainers Programme & Toolkit
Methods, tools and guidance supporting youth workers in
delivering DIG learning.
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DIG Open Educational Resource
A live, self-paced online learning course with five modules,
practical activities, reflection exercises and a final
course wrap-up.
Expected impact
Skills that continue after the lesson ends.
For young people
- Increase awareness of the benefits of perseverance.
- Reduce the urge for immediate gratification.
- Strengthen patience and perseverance in tasks.
- Find greater satisfaction in pursuing long-term goals.
- Support personal and professional development.
For youth workers
- Gain practical knowledge of innovative DIG methods.
- Use experiential approaches in everyday youth work.
- Combine reflective writing and theatre-based methods.
- Support resilience and critical thinking among teenagers.
- Use the DIG OER and toolkit beyond the project period.
Turn the idea into practice
Ready to start your DIG journey?
The DIG Open Educational Resource is now available. Start the self-paced course or explore the learning environment before you begin.