FAKE outLAB
CHECK IT OUT — TAKE IT OUT!
In January 2026, young people explored how fake news works — by creating fake stories themselves and learning how to detect and stop them (don’t worry, Madeira survived 😄).
WHEN
January 2026
WHO
Young people from Portugal, Estonia, and Latvia
WHERE
Madeira Island
Through workshops, creative sessions, and team challenges, participants strengthened critical thinking and responsible content creation. They also discussed feminism, equality, and respect, and how media shapes the image of women and minorities.
By the end of the exchange, they became smarter media users and confident young creators who know:
CHECK IT OUT — TAKE IT OUT!
This slogan set the tone for the whole project and guided everything we did — from creating fake stories to learning how to spot and stop them.
FINAL PRODUCTS OF THE TEAMS
3 TOPICS
FEMINISM
HUMAN RIGHTS
FAKE NEWS
1. Madeira fake news
Can you fly in Madeira?
It started with a simple question:
Can you use a drone in Madeira?
Some websites said yes.
Others said no.
A few warned about fines… and even arrest.
So the team decided to investigate.
They discovered that information online can be confusing and sometimes completely wrong. Different sources give different answers — and that’s exactly how fake news is born.
To avoid breaking the law, the group learned one important rule:
don’t trust random posts — trust official sources.
And step by step, the answer became clear.
So… can you fly a drone in Madeira?
The answer is waiting for you in the video
How to find reliable legal information -Always check at least 2 official sources before flying a drone.
If you don’t want to break the law — don’t trust rumors. Trust regulations.
TRUST
-
Government and official aviation websites
-
EU institutions
-
Documents with dates and law numbers
BE CAREFUL WITH
-
Social media posts
-
Forums and comments
-
Websites without official references
Useful official sources
2. Fake News, Feminism
& Media Stereotypes
At first, the room was full of familiar phrases:
“Feminism is only for women.”
“Feminists are against men.”
“Feminism means female superiority.”
These were not opinions
they were the myths that fake news and social media often spread.
So the group decided to investigate. Through open discussions and creative activities, young people unpacked these stereotypes and looked closely at how media distorts the idea of feminism. Step by step, the myths started to fall apart.
What remained was something simple and powerful: feminism is about equality, respect, and fair representation. And media literacy is the tool that helps us tell the difference between manipulation and truth.
Tips
Feminism & Gender Equality , Youth Resource Pack (15+)
1. FREE PDF BOOKS & TOOLKITS
UN Women – Gender Equality & Youth Toolkits
Educational PDFs for young people on gender equality and women’s rights.
https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications
(search: youth, gender equality, education)
Oxfam – Gender Equality Education Resources
Lesson plans, activities, and worksheets.
https://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/gender-equality
Amnesty International – Human Rights Education (Women’s Rights)
https://www.amnesty.org/en/human-rights-education/
UNESCO – Gender Equality in Education (PDF reports & guides)
https://unesdoc.unesco.org
(search: gender equality youth education)
2. SIMPLE TEXTS FOR TEENS
Britannica – What is Feminism?
https://www.britannica.com/topic/feminism
CommonLit – Women’s Rights & Feminism Texts
Short texts + discussion questions.
https://www.commonlit.org
Newsela – Gender Equality Articles (youth-friendly English)
3. VISUAL MATERIALS & POSTERS (FREE USE)
UNICEF – Gender Equality Posters & Campaigns
https://www.unicef.org/gender-equality
The Female Lead – Visual stories of women
Canva – Free templates (search: “gender equality”, “feminism”)
4. COMICS & ILLUSTRATED STORIES
A Mighty Girl – Books & comics for teens
She Should Run – Visual leadership stories
Everyday Feminism – Visual explainers
5. VIDEOS (TEEN-FRIENDLY)
TED Talks – Feminism
https://www.ted.com/topics/feminism
CrashCourse – Gender & Feminism (YouTube)
https://www.youtube.com/@crashcourse
Vox – Gender & Equality videos
6. READY-TO-USE EDUCATION PACKS
Council of Europe – Gender Equality Education Pack
https://www.coe.int/en/web/gender-matters
UNFPA – Youth & Gender Resources
3. Human Rights, Fake News
& Speaking Up
It started with fake advice and wrong ideas:
“Stay silent.”
“Don’t tell anyone.”
“Just ignore it.”
But the team chose another path.
They explored real situations — bullying, discrimination, lies, and threats — and learned that fake news doesn’t only live online, it also lives in dangerous myths about what to do.
Together, they created new messages:
Speak up.
Ask for help.
Go to the police.
Tell someone you trust.
Talk to a lawyer.
In the end, their ideas became a video presentation — a bold story about human rights and the courage to say “stop” to bullying and manipulation.
Because knowing your rights means using your voice.
Tips
HUMAN RIGHTS (easy & friendly resources)
1. Britannica – What are Human Rights?
Easy explanation of human rights basics.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/human-rights
2. UNICEF – Child Rights
Simple explanations of rights that all children and teens have.
https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention
3. Amnesty International – Human Rights for Youth
Short info + activities about rights and fairness.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/human-rights-education/
4. Human Rights Watch – Easy Read Materials
Youth-friendly human rights articles.
https://www.hrw.org
5. CrashCourse – Human Rights (YouTube)
Short animated videos explaining rights.
https://www.youtube.com/@crashcourse (search “human rights”)
ANTI-BULLYING
6. KidsHealth – Bullying: What It Is & What to Do
Explains bullying in clear teen language + advice.
https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/bullies-vs-friends.html
7. StopBullying.gov – For Teens
Guides, tips, and support for teens about bullying.
https://www.stopbullying.gov/resources/teens
8. UNICEF – Bullying and Child Protection
Posters and short guides about bullying prevention.
https://www.unicef.org/child-protection/bullying
9. TED-Ed – Bullying & Empathy Videos
Short animated lessons about bullying and kindness.
https://www.ted.com/talks?topics%5B%5D=bullying
10. Kid President – Anti-Bullying Videos
Fun, positive videos about respect and kindness.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=kid+president+bullying
EXTRA SIMPLE VISUAL / PRINT MATERIALS
11. Canva – Anti-Bullying & Human Rights Posters
Free templates you can download and print.
https://www.canva.com (search “anti bullying” / “human rights”)
12. UNICEF – Gender & Rights Visuals
Posters and graphic visuals about rights.
https://www.unicef.org
Participants’ opinions
Anastasia
19 years old
Latvia
“It is an opportunity to develop our skills. The topic of fake news is very interesting. When we create them ourselves, we realize how easy it is to produce fake news.”
Margarida
16 years old
Madeira
“It is a very current topic. Nowadays it is difficult to distinguish what is true from what is false, so this project helps a lot. It also allows me to meet new people and new cultures.”
Alexander
19 years old
Estonia
“This topic is very important to me because my work is connected to the media. With my group, we try to share information with young people, and it is essential to learn how to distinguish fake news from true information. The people who come to talk to us are very inspiring. I love this project.”
Press release
"Young people debate 'fake news' and feminism in Madeira in Erasmus+ project"
"Madeira hosted youth exchange on media literacy and feminism"
"Margarida Coelho, Daniela Raposo and Anna Marchenko from the Erasmus+ FAKE Out LAB Project, talking about the experience that is taking place this week at the Art Center Caravel."
Disclaimer: The European Union support for the projection of this publication does not constitute any endorsement of the content which reflects the views only of the authors. and the Union cannot be held responsible for a n use which mav be made of the information contained therein.