April 1st was a particularly active and fruitful day for SHINE 2Europe, with the team participating in multiple events at the PAAR-net Training School on Participatory Co-Creation Methods, hosted at Mykolas Romeris University in Vilnius, Lithuania. Represented by Carina Dantas and Inês Saavedra, SHINE contributed to the dissemination and multiplication of project results in an international setting.
The day began with the transnational project meeting of YoungCare, organised by SHINE, where partners gathered to define the next steps for the platform’s development, policy recommendations, and long-term sustainability strategy. Meanwhile, DigitalScouts held its multiplier event, which featured a presentation of the project, the launch of a promotional video introducing the platform, and reflections from each partner on their experiences during the training activities. The event concluded with a hands-on session where all participants explored the e-learning platform directly on their smartphones, gaining first-hand experience of its functionalities.
In the afternoon, YoungCare hosted its multiplier event. The project results were presented with a strong emphasis on how participatory and co-creation methods helped shape the platform and the forthcoming policy recommendations, particularly in relation to the involvement of informal and professional caregivers. In parallel, the DigitalScouts consortium visited a local library that showcased various activities – many of which closely aligned with the themes and aims of the project, especially in promoting digital inclusion.
The day concluded with a joint dinner where members of both consortiums came together, sharing insights and highlights from their respective activities throughout the day. This was a much-welcomed opportunity for networking, collaboration, and mutual inspiration.
SHINE extends a special thanks to the invited guests from Portugal who joined the events to contribute to the projects: Joana Afonso, CEO of Careceiver, who supported the YoungCare project, and Pedro Carrana, Head of the Social Development and Health Division at Pombal Town Hall, who contributed to the DigitalScouts project.
The PAAR-net Training School, running from March 31 to April 2, 2025, offered intensive training in participatory co-creation methods. 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. It also provided a valuable space to explore the needs of informal carers and adults requiring care, which are topics that remain under-researched yet critically important for inclusive policy development.