Empowering Bhutan’s UPSHIFTers with essential digital skills

The UPSHIFT project in schools is not only equipping students with social innovation skills but is also laying a robust foundation for enhancing the digital skills of Bhutan’s youth.
By focusing on UPSHIFT teachers as focal points, the UPSHIFT digital skills online training conducted from 16-31 October 2024 was aimed to create a ripple effect that reaches students and communities helping young people contribute and thrive in a rapidly digitalising world.
Facilitated by MoESD in partnership with UNICEF Bhutan under the EU Project on “Inclusive Access to Digitalisation in Education and Skills in Bhutan,” the training used Google Classroom and Zoom to deliver a blend of live and self-paced learning experiences.
Sixty-four teachers (47 male and 17 female) from all 20 Dzongkhags completed 14 individual tasks and attended 7 interactive live sessions to deepen their digital skills across four essential themes: Information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, digital content creation, and safety and ethics.
With the growing need for digital skills in all sectors, this online training on 10 digital skills contributes significantly to preparing young people for future careers and ensuring they can safely and responsibly navigate the digital environment.
UPSHIFT focal teachers trained under this initiative will serve as advocates and role models empowering students to explore technology with confidence and responsibility in solving individual and community problems.