The DigitalScouts consortium travelled to Vilnius, Lithuania, to host a session within the PAAR-net Training School at 1 April and the event “PAAR-net experience: Collaboration in Practice: Technology and Innovation Research Beyond Boundaries” on 2 April. The events, organised by the COST Action PAAR-net, focused on participatory co-creation methods with older adults. Aimed at PhD students, post-doctoral researchers, young innovators, and policymakers, the programme equipped participants with practical skills to engage older adults in research, project design, and policymaking.
Recognising the strong alignment between the goals of DigitalScouts and the Cost Action’s theme, the consortium took this opportunity to host their European Multiplier Event. It was also a valuable occasion to invite special guests from each partner country, fostering networking and exploring future collaboration opportunities. Among the guests were the Head of the Social Development and Health Division at Pombal Town Hall (Portugal), representatives from HumaQ (Germany), CARP Omenia (Romania), and PlatformVmZ (Netherlands). All of them have been interviewed to provide brief feedback on the DigitalScouts project for another promotional video.
The training school session featured a presentation of the DigitalScouts project, the launch of a promotional video introducing the e-learning platform, and insightful reflections from each partner on their co-creation experiences during the training phase. The event concluded with a hands-on session, where participants explored the platform directly on their smartphones, gaining first-hand experience of its features and intuitive design.
In the afternoon of the first day, the consortium visited the Vilnius Country Public Library where a variety of initiatives were presented – many of which resonated with the objectives of DigitalScouts, particularly in promoting digital inclusion and active participation among older adults.