What is Agent C?
Agent C is a project led by All Together Now focusing on online conspiracy theories and fake news.
The aim of Agent C is to develop specialised training with and for young people in order to challenge divisive and hateful misinformation and disinformation. This includes but is not limited to far-right extremist conspiracy theories and fake news narratives.
We want to enhance the confidence and capacity of young people to unpack and critically engage with hateful conspiracy theories and fake news and to have stimulating conversations with their peers encouraging critical thinking.
Why is Agent C important?
Children and young people are increasingly vulnerable to engaging with fake news and conspiracy theories online, including divisive and hateful forms. In 2021 All Together Now started the Agent C project as we noticed that the COVID-19 pandemic and extended lockdowns had caused a significant rise in online conspiracy theories and fake news, and also had created the ideal circumstances for racism and right-wing extremism to flourish.
Recent developments in terms of artificial intelligence (AI), as well as the impact of international geo-political events, have added a new dimension to the problem of online disinformation. Freely available and largely unregulated AI tools make it possible for anyone to easily generate false information and produce fake and hateful content in large quantities.
The Agent C program aims to enhance the skills and confidence of young people to unpack and critically engage with hateful conspiracy theories and fake news, thereby increasing their agency, resilience and self-worth.
Who is it for?
Between 2021 and 2024 Agent C was funded by the NSW Government through Multicultural NSW. The co-designed program was available for young people in NSW aged 14-21 who were interested in challenging and tackling the rise of online fake news, conspiracy theories and racism. The training program was delivered online (via Zoom) through schools and youth services and consisted of three 1.5-hour interactive workshops.
Registrations for these workshops have now closed and the NSW project is currently undergoing its final evaluation phase.
Educate to Empower: Free Program for Year 7 & 8 Students
Between July and December 2024, the Agent C program will be available for free to Australian students in Year 7 and 8 (aged 12-14), thanks to sponsorship from Deutsche Bank!
Learn how your school can get involved and equip your students with the skills to challenge hateful conspiracy theories and fake news.
Places are limited, so express your interest today!
Supporting Agent C
All Together Now is currently looking for funding to sustain and expand the Agent C program across Australia. Your support can help us empower more young people to combat online misinformation and conspiracy theories.
If you are interested in supporting our mission, please reach out to us via the button below.
Want your whole school or year trained?
If you’re interested in bringing Agent C program to Years 9-12 or youth service, please contact us at [email protected] to explore our fee-for-service options today.
Learn More – Agent C Pilot Case Study
In February 2023, we published a report detailing the result of the Agent C Project Pilot, as independently evaluated by Urbis.
According to Urbis the Agent C Pilot was “a highly impactful project” as it had “successfully achieved all four of its intended outcomes, through delivering highly topical and applied content to young people in an engaging way.”
With the majority of participants, survey results consistently in the high 80% to 90% range, All Together Now was very pleased with the results of the Agent C Project Pilot evaluation. As a result, we are very confident that the Agent C program can create a real social impact and enhance community resilience against hateful misinformation, fake news, and conspiracy theories.
Based on our Pilot Project evaluation, All Together Now also published an article in SCAN, a peer-refereed online journal offering articles about quality learning, teaching ideas, research, and emerging trends published by the NSW Department of Education. The article was published in February 2023 and focuses on the results and impact of the Agent C program in schools across NSW to date.
Agent C Pilot Case Study – Snapshots
Who do we collaborate with?
Our project partners for the NSW project are Headspace Camperdown (for the recruitment of training participants) and Urbis (for project evaluation). We are also working with a number of informal partners for advice and guidance, including academics and co-design experts. Funding for the NSW project has been provided by the NSW Government through Multicultural NSW.
Additional resources for teachers, parents and frontline workers
Building on our “Agent C” work, we have also created brand-new resources for teachers, educators, parents, and frontline workers in Australia aimed at building their skills to recognise and respond to people who are engaging with hateful misinformation, fake news, and conspiracy theories.
