Young people from rural Perthshire and Angus are being urged to create their own “smart village” in cyberspace.
The digital community would be designed by the young people themselves to ensure they have every opportunity to flourish despite being more isolated than their urban peers.
The aim is to provide an online meeting place where youngsters from a wide geographical area can get together to form friendships and boost career opportunities.
The Rural Youth Project Smart Village project is being led by Smart Village Scotland which is hunting for young people to apply to become one of 12 digital champions for the project.
Perthshire and Angus have been chosen for the scheme, along with Lanarkshire, the Outer Hebrides and the Scottish Borders.
Co-Founder and Director Jane Craigie said: “The mission behind the Rural Youth Project Smart Village is to deliver a digital place that really benefits young people in many aspects of their rural lives.
“It will be a space for young people to network and form mentoring relationships with their peers and also older business and community leaders, while also having access to learning resources to support them in building a vibrant, creative and sustainable rural economy in Scotland.”
The initiative has been praised by young Perthshire business owner, Joe Sykes, who runs his gelato business, Joelato, from a base at Guildtown.
The digital champions will each receive £500 to cover their time and any expenses they incur.
They will also have the opportunity to work with web developers in creating, designing and shaping the new platform’s content.
Smart Village Scotland Project Manager, Daniel Muir said: “Smart Villages are being developed to support a number of communities in Scotland and Europe.
“We are delighted that a vibrant Smart Village community, built for and by young people, is now being developed to support the five leader areas supporting the project.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to get involved and develop new skills to be part of shaping the future for their community.”
Applications close on October 26 at 5pm. Applicants must be between 18 and 28 years old.
Further details and application forms can be found online.
