Digital Summer Campaign strengthens community connections

In addition to traditional programs and campaigns such as Exam Season Support, Red Flamboyant, Green Summer, Pink Holiday, and Green March, this year's Summer Youth Volunteer Campaign includes a new initiative called the Digital Summer Campaign.

Youth Union members assist residents at the Trang Dai ward Police Station. Photo: Nga Son

The campaign is expected to create a significant breakthrough in community digital transformation, enhance digital literacy among young people and residents, and affirm the pioneering role of young people in building a digital society.

Bringing young people together

For nearly half a month, Dao Uyen Nhi, an 11th-grade student at Chu Van An High School in Trang Dai ward, has been present at the Trang Dai ward Police Station every day to assist residents applying for ID cards or completing procedures for Level-2 electronic identification accounts. In addition to Uyen Nhi, the support team includes several other Youth Union members living in the ward.

Uyen Nhi said that they had initially been strangers, yet through joining the support team at the ward Police Station, she and the others had the opportunity to get to know one another, become friends and assist each other in carrying out their duties. Some Youth Union members came to help only when they had free time, while Uyen Nhi worked throughout all three daily shifts, morning, afternoon and evening. "Participating in the support team at the police station means I do not have time to spend with my friends, but I am happy because I have done something useful, making my summer vacation more meaningful. I have also learned many communication and problem-solving skills through interacting with and assisting residents," said Uyen Nhi.

In addition to the support team at the police station, the Long Hung ward Youth Union has organized teams during the Digital Summer Campaign to assist residents with administrative procedures at the ward Public Administrative Service Center and support schools in receiving enrollment applications.

Youth Union members from Trang Dai ward assist residents in completing online public administrative procedures at the Trang Dai ward Police Station. Photo: Nga Son

Le Thi Thuy Trang, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee and Secretary of Youth Union of the Long Hung ward, said the Digital Summer volunteer teams are expected to operate from mid-June through the end of August. The support team at the Long Hung ward Police Station will assist residents with identification card procedures, electronic identity registration, and administrative services at the police station. At several schools, Youth Union members will guide parents in submitting online applications and assist with enrollment-related procedures.

At the ward Public Administrative Service Center, Youth Union members also guide residents in obtaining queue numbers, submitting online applications, and using the VNeID application. In addition, team members promote and instruct residents on using digital applications in daily life, navigating the internet and social media safely, and preventing online scams. Through these activities, they help share digital knowledge and skills while raising community awareness of digital transformation.

Sharing digital knowledge and skills

To ensure the effective operation of the Digital Summer volunteer teams, the City Youth Union has provided guidance to local Youth Union organizations. Each ward and commune in the city will establish at least one team of approximately 20 volunteers, including Youth Union members, teachers, and young professionals. The city-level Digital Summer volunteer team will be launched in eight border communes, including Loc Thanh, Loc Tan, Loc Thanh, Hung Phuoc, Tan Tien, Thien Hung, Dak O, Bu Gia Map, as well as several remote areas, including Dak Nhau, Thanh Son, Ta Lai, Dak Lua, and Nam Cat Tien.

The Digital Summer teams will guide residents through administrative procedures; install and update features on the VNeID application; assist residents in using the National and local Public Service Portals to submit online applications, track the processing of administrative procedures, make online payments, and register electronic citizen accounts; and assist Party members in completing administrative procedures online. In addition, the teams will promote, guide, and assist organizations and individuals in completing administrative procedures at commune- and ward-level Public Administrative Service Centers, while providing online or mobile assistance for public services in hamlets and residential areas for residents who are unable to visit the Public Administrative Service Center. More importantly, the support process must be carried out alongside the sharing of digital knowledge and skills with Youth Union members and the broader community.

Following guidance from the City Youth Union, commune- and ward-level youth unions have gradually established Digital Summer volunteer teams since the beginning of May. Major Nguyen Van Duy, a representative of the Trang Dai ward Police, said that during the peak period for issuing ID cards and electronic identity accounts to residents across the city, the local police advised the ward People's Committee to direct relevant departments, sectors and mass organizations, and particularly the ward Youth Union, to assist in receiving and guiding residents when they came to complete administrative procedures. Since the beginning of June, Youth Union members have been providing daily support at the ward Police Station. "Despite working multiple shifts, including Saturdays and Sundays, the Youth Union members have remained committed to assisting residents, helping reduce waiting times and easing the workload of officers at the ward Police Station," said Major Duy.

During the Digital Summer campaign, commune- and ward-level youth unions may also organize training sessions, forums, and discussions on artificial intelligence applications, as well as activities supporting youth entrepreneurship and startup initiatives on digital platforms. They will implement youth projects and initiatives that apply digital technology to serve the community, including digitizing historical and cultural sites, creating digital libraries, developing youth digital maps, and producing digital media products. Through these activities, they help promote the pioneering role of Youth Union members in digital transformation, gradually shaping digital citizens and a digital society.

One of the targets set by the City Youth Union for this year's Summer Youth Volunteer Campaign is for every commune and ward to establish at least one "Digital Literacy" Team and to support more than 176,000 young people and residents in improving digital literacy, using cashless payment methods, and accessing online public services.

By Nga Son – Translated by Minh Hong, Minho