Digital Leader with AI — course guide

The challenge of digital competence in Poland becomes even more tangible when we analyse the official reports of Statistics Poland (GUS). Data collected at the turn of 2025 and 2026 show clearly that only 50% of Poland's residents over the age of 15 have at least basic digital skills.

In practice, these statistics mean that half of Polish society (specifically 49% of men and 50% of women) is struggling with a paralysing form of digital exclusion that marginalises their position in the market. Importantly, this problem no longer stems from a lack of access to the necessary equipment or infrastructure. As many as 96% of Polish households have permanent internet access and 75.1% of them are within reach of super-fast gigabit networks, a result very close to the European average. Today's exclusion is strictly mental and competence-based. The most dramatic situation occurs among seniors. In the 65-74 age group, barely fewer than one in eight people (about 12.5%) shows basic digital skills, and a marginal 3% have above-basic competences - against an EU average of more than 30% and 11% respectively. The geographical divide is equally striking: while 61% of residents of large urban areas navigate the virtual world with ease, in rural areas this indicator drops to just 41%. In the face of the ambitious European target defined in the "Digital Decade" programme, which assumes reaching the level of 80% of citizens with basic digital skills by 2030, immediate, radical and very practical grass-roots action is required.

The portfolio system of the Cyfrowy Lider course. Each participant receives a Google account in the fundacja-przyjazn.pl domain (login in the format `imie.nazwisko@fundacja-przyjazn.pl`), to which a dedicated Google Drive folder named with your first name and last name is shared. It is in this folder that BDI staff check your proofs of mastering the exercises from each module of the course. The validation rule is simple: what does not end up in the Drive folder, BDI will not see — no file = no proof = no credit for the exercise. The local `_PORTFOLIO` folder on your desktop is only a working zone; in the end every screenshot, PDF or photo must be uploaded to your First Name Last Name folder on Drive.

This system covers all six modules of the course — from the first screenshot with Win+Shift+S in Module 1 (Computer basics), through security exercises in Module 2, Google Workspace documents in Module 3, exercises with gov.pl, mObywatel and the Internet Patient Account in Module 4, work with Gemini Research and NotebookLM in Module 5, up to the final portfolio of generated AI tools in Module 6 (CV, presentation, letter, budget, image, video presentation). Each exercise ends with the evidence file landing in your First Name Last Name folder on Drive, and the trainer verifies it during or after the class.

An account in the fundacja-przyjazn.pl domain is not just a mailbox — it is a full Google Workspace account provided by the partner foundation (Fundacja Przyjaźń Bez Granic), giving you access to Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Drive, Gmail and all the free Gemini features for students. After completing the course, the account remains active, and you keep all your files — this is your digital portfolio for years, which you can show off to an employer, recruiter or family.

The foundation's flagship educational programme, designed as a direct response to the gaps identified by GUS, is an innovative, comprehensive training course entitled "Cyfrowy Lider z AI" (Digital Leader with AI), delivered on-site and supported by the modern e-learning platform akademia.bdi.technology.

The educational philosophy that Baltic Digital Institute puts into practice is based on radical pragmatism and maximum accessibility. The training is run absolutely from scratch, in clear, understandable Polish, and remains one hundred percent free of charge for all qualified participants (the cost is 0 PLN). This is a direct result of the smart management of public grants - the project, with an impressive total value of PLN 708,250, is co-financed by the powerful European Funds for Pomerania (ESF+) programme. To optimise the market effects of the training, BDI implements the initiative in cooperation with two strategic partners: the Kashubian Employers' Association (which immediately networks participants with local businesses) and the Friendship Without Borders Foundation (which guarantees language and integration assistance for Ukrainian citizens).

In the workshop room, the experts and trainers - foundation founder Krzysztof Rek, Adam (an intern, but also a trainer running the practical sessions), and Krzysztof Lizak (implementation specialist) - relentlessly stamp out incomprehensible tech jargon and corporate-speak. They are also supported by Olga, who is responsible for process analysis, and Oksana, the coordinator of activities with the Ukrainian community. Instead of theoretical lectures, the team applies the principle of a "No Blame" culture, making you aware that a mistake - such as clicking the wrong button - is a natural and completely acceptable part of getting comfortable with the digital environment. Your journey is crowned by an official, personalised certificate that incontestably attests to the unique competences you have acquired.

Module 1: Computer and smartphone basics is the foundation of the entire path, divided into two extensive workshop parts. This is where, from scratch, you get used to the operating system, the keyboard, the touchscreen and the everyday gestures essential for working with a laptop and phone. You receive the Keyboard Master Cheat Sheets and Rescue Cheat Sheets prepared by the BDI team (in Windows and Mac versions), you learn the "Magic Lens" technique (zoom, visual accessibility), as well as the basics of voice typing. As part of the module, participants also receive the Little Digital Dictionary and Wi-Fi setup instructions (in Polish and Ukrainian versions). It is the module that removes the paralysing fear of hardware and turns the black box into a predictable, familiar working tool.

In Module 2: Cybersecurity and data protection, you instantly become a hard and invisible target for online fraudsters. You will learn practically how EU law (GDPR, Polish: RODO) directly protects your data, but above all, you will perform hard lab tasks. You will independently configure two-factor authentication (2FA) on your private mailbox, secure your entire operating system with the native BitLocker tool, and encrypt sensitive data with 7-Zip using professional passwords of at least 16 characters. You will also understand the hidden mechanics of data leaks by auditing your email addresses on the specialised Have I Been Pwned service, and you will practise recognising scams using a special set of worksheets and the "Scams" infographic prepared at BDI.

Module 3 of the course is delivered in two parallel thematic versions, as it covers two broad areas of digital competence. The "Working with documents" version (M3-DOK) takes you into the world of highly efficient office and asynchronous work. Here, you will learn not only how to skilfully format modern texts in the cloud-based, free Google Workspace ecosystem (Google Docs, Slides, Sheets), but also how to generate and exchange secure, immutable documents. With the trainer's help, you will configure advanced permissions for your own files using PDF24, applying digital locks that make it completely impossible for unauthorised persons to print or modify your correspondence without authorisation. The exercises include, among others, the v2.0 worksheet and dedicated tasks in Google Docs (with a separate Ukrainian version) and Google Slides.

The second version, "Social media and online communication" (M3-SM, led by Olga Szudzik), teaches you how to use social media and modern online communication channels consciously, safely and purposefully. You learn the mechanics of platforms, privacy rules, the boundaries of publicly sharing data, as well as practical techniques for protecting yourself from disinformation, hate speech and manipulation. This variant of the module is particularly valuable for those who want to build a conscious professional presence (e.g. on LinkedIn) or, as carers, support younger users in navigating social networks safely.

Module 4: E-administration, online banking and e-democracy means your full-fledged, practical digital citizenship - and therefore the absolute end of standing in endless queues at offices. Step by step, you will assertively set up the state-run Profil Zaufany (Trusted Profile, with a dedicated instruction also available in Ukrainian), you will securely log in to the login.gov.pl portal, and with great ease you will start using the Internetowe Konto Pacjenta (IKP, Internet Patient Account) and the ePUAP platform. You will learn how, in a matter of minutes, to turn your personal smartphone into a highly secure, legal wallet of documents thanks to the flagship mObywatel app, where, among other things, you will permanently restrict your PESEL number, immediately cutting off the risk of someone taking out a loan in your name. The module also includes a practical introduction to e-Doreczenia (e-Delivery, an official, legally binding correspondence inbox for public administration), safe handling of online banking (login, payment authorisation, recognising suspicious transactions, blocking cards in the app), and e-democracy tools - electronic petitions, public consultations, participatory budgets and other channels for conscious participation in public life online.

In Module 5: Introduction to artificial intelligence (AI), you methodically tame the technology of the future without fear or mathematical complexities. Instead of abstract data engineering, you demystify powerful artificial intelligence from the perspective of an ordinary user. You learn the fundamental principles of prompt engineering, discovering how to clearly and very precisely formulate text commands for intelligent algorithms so that they immediately deliver on the life and professional goals you have set. The guiding material is the "Introduction to AI" Workbook with a full series of examples that you carry out live, step by step.

The whole cycle is crowned by Module 6: AI tools in practice. Here you gain a free, tireless virtual assistant ready to act 24 hours a day. You actively use AI language models to instantly summarise multi-page, intricate official letters, generate flawless work e-mails, plan your weekly calendar or do on-the-fly translations of advanced texts. The module's homework - "Challenge: Face-off with the Office" - lets you test the skills you have acquired in a realistic scenario. This is the module that most strongly and quickly raises your hard, personal productivity to a previously unattainable level.

Look at how the programme addresses the challenges of the four most distinctive profiles of Pomerania's residents.

If you are a senior aged 65+, the organisers fully understand that your main initial barrier is not complicated equipment, but solely a paralysing fear of accidentally and irreversibly deleting important information or falling into the trap of an online scammer. The course is designed to give you maximum psychological safety thanks to the aforementioned "No Blame" culture. You will learn, without a trace of stress, to manage your electronic prescriptions on your own through the Internetowe Konto Pacjenta (IKP, Internet Patient Account) and to safely identify yourself with the ID in the mObywatel app. The practical knowledge you gain about social engineering attack vectors (so-called phishing) and the active restriction of your PESEL number will allow you to sleep completely peacefully again.

If you are a 20-year-old from the NEET group (currently not working and not in school), you probably handle a smartphone and social media platforms very efficiently. However, this gives a very deceptive illusion of digital competence in the eyes of an employer. The BDI course kindly dispels this illusion, quickly transforming you from a passive consumer of entertainment into a professional, organised creator. You will learn how to flawlessly format aesthetic application documents (CV) in free cloud tools, handle formal email communication, synchronise team calendars and understand the unwritten logic of corporate cybersecurity.

Are you a mother returning from maternity leave to a ruthless labour market? Employers' requirements have certainly evolved in the meantime towards a hybrid or fully remote operating model. This modular programme will drastically level your negotiating chances in the recruitment process. You will acquire fluent, measurable competence in asynchronous work in the Google ecosystem, you will learn how to secure work PDF files with password protocols, and you will implement a home "clean desk policy" (including a systemic, automatic locking of the login screen), instantly proving to your new manager your full operational readiness.

Are you a refugee from war-torn Ukraine? Stepping into the thicket of bureaucracy in a foreign, unfamiliar state is an unimaginably stressful process. With direct, tender support from assistants from the partner Friendship Without Borders Foundation, you will set up a Polish Profil Zaufany (Trusted Profile) entirely smoothly and flawlessly (using dedicated instructions in Ukrainian), comprehensively configure mObywatel and learn to use free artificial intelligence (AI) tools as reliable, impartial contextual translators. This is only a fraction of the knowledge that, in just a few weeks, will powerfully reduce the overwhelming language barrier and many times accelerate your financial integration in Pomerania.

After completing "Cyfrowy Lider" (Digital Leader), you will not have to feed a recruiter generalities. You will be able to demonstrate a hard palette of highly desirable market skills.

After going through the 24-hour transformational process, you will gain the invaluable ability to ruthlessly audit the security of your own systems environment. You will prove to yourself and to your loved ones the following hard technical skills:

You will correctly compress and pack folders with sensitive, financial data using the advanced 7-Zip software, fully and permanently encrypting them in the AES standard using a powerful password of at least 16 characters, and passing the key to the recipient through a verifiable side channel.

You will independently carry out a technical audit of your own electronic identity, finding gaps and verifying the presence of your historical email addresses in the world's largest registries of hacker leaks, and you will also set up a system bolt by restricting your PESEL number in the mObywatel app.

You will export editable text projects to the stable PDF format, and then use specialised platforms such as PDF24 to apply unbreakable, digital restrictions that protect the file from unwanted editing and unauthorised printing in the office.

You will safely handle online and mobile banking - from logging in with 2FA, through payment authorisation, to blocking your card in case of loss - and when contacting an office, you will use e-Doreczenia (e-Delivery) as the official, legally binding correspondence channel.

You will flawlessly formulate an analytical, engineering prompt (a text request) for a cloud-based AI model, instantly instructing the algorithm to fully rewrite a chaotic email into official and formal Polish.

Your professional status absolutely does not determine your chances of being accepted - the course is open to people who are deeply and permanently unemployed, professionally inactive, working physically on the minimum wage, as well as ambitious retirees wishing to raise the quality of their late life.

As soon as you pass a quick verification with the project advisor, you will be immediately referred to a closed educational cycle consisting of 24 hours of fascinating workshop sessions in small, interactive groups, supported by a generous pool of 5 hours reserved solely for invaluable, individual consultations with the lead trainer. The whole of the highly practical classes takes place fully on-site. The physical base of this project is the well-connected Gdańsk villa "Rekin", architecturally fully adapted to the needs of people with disabilities and located at ul. Hołdu Pruskiego 6. You do not need to make any financial investment in your own electronic equipment. The organiser comprehensively provides on-site certified computer workstations ready for intensive work, regenerating refreshments and exceptional, carefully printed training materials, characterised by greatly enhanced contrast that saves the reading comfort of people with low vision. In parallel with the face-to-face workshops, you gain unlimited, personalised access to an asynchronous e-learning space located at the public domain akademia.bdi.technology. It is precisely this digitised environment, which is the heart of the BDI Academy, that meticulously stores for you all materials, module summaries and a safe, cloud-based proving ground for stress-free consolidation of knowledge at your own, home-based pace.

First, it is on the human and his or her psyche - not solely on technology - that resilience must be built. Second, the previous, rigid lecture-based methods of mass adult teaching have suffered a painful failure. The model observed at BDI, based on a radical "No Blame" culture and the requirement for continuous documentation of operational "artefacts", is a powerful, battle-tested accelerator that builds the learner's sense of hard assertiveness.

Third and most importantly, artificial intelligence (AI) is not the apocalyptic destroyer of stable jobs that alarmist media massively portray it to be. With the right, trust-based and practice-based implementation, it becomes the most magnificent free assistant making up for decades of neglect. Skilful and bold use of these advanced systems dramatically shortens the distance between generations. Do not let the ongoing revolution take place at your expense or that of your family. Check the requirements, visit the akademia.bdi.technology website without delay and take that first, decisive step. Boldly join the ranks of the Digital Leaders, earn an official EU certificate and fully enjoy the comfort of safe living in a modern, computerised society.