by Juliana Uribe, Movilizatorio, Colombia.
In a region as dynamic as Latin America, young people face a complex information environment that demands new skills.
Movilizatorio is a Colombian social innovation lab founded in 2016 that works to create a more informed, connected and empowered society. Its work spans several areas: designing participatory processes for communities, leading campaigns that raise awareness and mobilise citizens, researching social and communication trends, and building digital tools to connect people with opportunities for action. This multifaceted approach allows Movilizatorio to respond to social challenges from different angles, education, technology and culture, always with a focus on inclusion and collaboration.
Over the past eight years, Movilizatorio has implemented projects in Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile, creating bridges between citizens, institutions, and decision-makers. Its work combines digital innovation with field experience: it has built mobile apps for civic participation, led regional awareness campaigns, and developed research that guides public and private actors. One of its flagship initiatives, DigiMENTE, reflects this integrated approach by providing a scalable solution to one of the region’s most pressing educational gaps: media and information literacy (MIL).
The media literacy gap
Despite widespread internet access, most education systems in the region still lack robust media literacy curricula. Studies indicate that 70% of people in Latin America cannot reliably detect fake news, and among youth, these gaps are even more pronounced. Teachers often report feeling unprepared to guide their students in understanding how algorithms shape information flows, or in distinguishing credible journalism from viral misinformation.
These deficits are not merely technical; they shape how young people learn, communicate, and interact online. Without systematic training, many students struggle to identify trustworthy sources or how to produce content responsibly — skills that are essential for their personal, academic and professional lives.
DigiMENTE’s approach
DigiMENTE was developed through surveys, focus groups, and pilot programs with students and teachers from Colombia, Mexico, and Argentina. This collaborative design ensures that the curriculum reflects the realities of youth across different socio-economic contexts.
The program delivers 16 to 32 hours of training in four core areas:
- Information analysis – understanding and evaluating media content.
- Content creation – producing media in ethical and creative ways.
- Active engagement – improving how students interact with media platforms.
- Ethical reflection – encouraging critical thinking about what is consumed and shared.
The curriculum is available online through an interactive e-learning platform and offline via downloadable guides, ensuring accessibility even in areas with limited connectivity. Teachers can adapt DigiMENTE modules to subjects like social sciences, Spanish, ethics, and computer science, integrating them into their existing lesson plans without overburdening students.
Scaling through partnerships
Movilizatorio collaborates with educators, influencers, journalists and public institutions to expand DigiMENTE’s reach.
Within our work with educators, we form partnerships with ministries of education to adapt the curriculum to their needs and context, and provide training to teachers so that they integrate media literacy into their classrooms. Subsequently, we provide follow-up support to monitor implementation and share best practices.
To date, DigiMENTE has:
- Trained over 14,000 teachers and more than 300 journalists and influencers.
- Partnered with 9 ministries of education to bring the curriculum into public schools.
- Built a user base of over 1,000 on its e-learning platform.
- Achieved 90% satisfaction rates among educators surveyed.
- Reached approximately 500,000 students through school integration and teacher replication.
For example, in Colombia DigiMENTE materials reached rural public schools, while in Mexico teacher-training institutes replicate the curriculum with new student cohorts.
Proven impact
Beyond schools, DigiMENTE has reached over 9 million people through campaigns and partnerships in seven countries. The initiative has been recognised with the Anthem Award and the Latin American Digital Democracy Award, underscoring its innovation and scalability.
Teachers report that after using DigiMENTE, students show measurable improvements in their ability to identify manipulated images, verify sources and engage in constructive discussions about media content. Some schools have created student-led media clubs where participants produce podcasts, newsletters, and social media campaigns applying what they learned in class.
The program’s ecosystem approach, combining teacher training, digital tools, and partnerships with ministries and NGOs, ensures that the impact is not limited to a single workshop but is sustained over time. Movilizatorio’s collaboration with international actors, including the Google News Initiative and UNESCO’s MIL Alliance, has also helped align DigiMENTE with global standards and strengthen its reach.
Next steps
Movilizatorio aims to expand DigiMENTE into additional Latin American countries, strengthen partnerships with education ministries, and update its curriculum to address emerging challenges such as AI-generated content, deepfakes and the evolving social media landscape. The organisation is also exploring ways to build communities of practice among teachers so they can exchange experiences and co-create new resources. By equipping educators and students with practical skills and flexible tools, DigiMENTE is building a generation capable of navigating today’s media landscape with confidence, creativity and critical thinking.
Author
Juliana Uribe Villegas is the CEO and Founder of Movilizatorio, a Colombian social innovation lab that designs campaigns, programs, and research to strengthen media literacy, digital skills and collective action across Latin America. She is recognised as a thought leader on social innovation and public engagement, and has advised governments, NGOs, and multilateral organisations on strategies to connect citizens with solutions.
