MEMPERSIAPKAN DIRI MENJADI PEMIMPIN DI ERA DIGITAL MELALUI PROGRAM PEMBINAAN ANAK ASUH DI PANTI ASUHAN PELANGI III KOTA SORONG

Abstract

The rapid advancement of information and communication technology has significantly changed the way children and adolescents interact, access information, and form their identities, including children living in orphanages. While the digital era opens broad opportunities for learning, it also raises challenges such as weak critical thinking, gadget dependency, exposure to negative content, and low self-confidence and leadership spirit among children. Children in orphanages are more vulnerable due to limited direct parental guidance, making early leadership character building an urgent need. This community service activity aims to build and strengthen the leadership character of foster children at Panti Asuhan Pelangi through training, educational games, leadership simulations, and digital literacy delivered in a participatory manner. The implementation method consisted of a preparation stage (site survey and needs analysis), an implementation stage (socialization, leadership training, mini-organization simulation, digital literacy and social media ethics), and an evaluation and sustainability stage. The results show an increase in the children's understanding of leadership values such as responsibility, honesty, cooperation, and decisionmaking, as well as greater awareness of using digital technology wisely. This program is expected to become a sustainable character-building model that can be replicated in other orphanages or childcare institutions.