SHINE 2Europe announces the completion of four European projects that have marked the last three years of work in areas essential to social cohesion: digital and environmental literacy, support for informal carers, and the promotion of sustainable business models. The DigitalScouts, AFECO and YoungCare projects were funded by the Erasmus+ programme, while NewEcoSmart was supported by the European Social Fund+. Together, they leave behind a legacy of practical tools, accessible online and free to use, which can be applied in community and institutional contexts across the country.
With a strong commitment to social innovation, SHINE has played a central role in developing the digital platforms for these projects, always using participatory and user-centred methodologies. The result is a set of resources that not only respond to the specific needs of older adults, carers and rural communities, but also contribute to a more inclusive, environmentally friendly and digitally prepared society.
DigitalScouts trained ‘digital mentors’ capable of supporting older adults in the use of online tools, offering an e-learning course, a compendium of good practices, and training materials adaptable to different local contexts. These materials were developed in co-creation and tested, in the Portuguese case, with volunteers from the Portuguese Red Cross – Braga Delegation. AFECO sought to bring older generations closer to knowledge that they can apply in their homes, making them more environmentally friendly and accessible, so that they can age comfortably in their own homes. This project also had the collaboration of the Braga Senior Academy in the testing and validation phase of its platform.
Within the scope of YoungCare, specific resources were developed to support informal carers of adults between the ages of 18 and 65, including a digital platform with information adapted to the Portuguese reality and recommendations for public policies that can guide future decisions in this area. NewEcoSmart, in turn, focused on revitalising rural areas by training adults over the age of 45 in green, digital and entrepreneurial skills, creating new opportunities for sustainable and inclusive work. The products developed in the project, namely the educational content on entrepreneurship and ecological and digital transformation, were implemented by AD ELO in the Montemor-o-Velho region.
All materials are now available online and can be used by municipal technicians, educators, local organisations and community associations, as well as by the general public. SHINE 2Europe therefore invites local authorities and institutions to explore these resources, integrating them into local programmes and sharing them with local networks that promote inclusion, lifelong learning and the well-being of communities.
You can find more information about the projects and all the tools developed on their respective websites:
DigitalScouts | https://digitalscouts.eu/
AFECO | https://afeco.eu
YoungCare | https://youngcare.eu
NewEcoSmart | https://newecosmart.eu/learning-toolkit/
SHINE 2Europe invites the general public, as well as the aforementioned entities, to explore its Educational HUB, where they can find various tools and games developed in different thematic areas, available free of charge to support communities, professionals, and citizens — https://shine2.eu/educational-hub/.