Cities transformed into classrooms

Funding from the Foundation for Science and Technology has ended, but the innovative project coordinated by Lúcia Pombo, a researcher at CIDTFF (Centre for Research in Didactics and Technology in Trainer Training) at the University of Aveiro (UA), is set to continue. After all, with the collaboration protocol signed yesterday at the ATLAS Building in Aveiro, EduCITY activities will become part of the training offer of Fábrica Centro Ciência Viva de Aveiro. However, even before the signing, the book “Lessons Learned - EduCITY” was launched. Lúcia Pombo, together with Margarida M. Marques, João Ferreira-Santos, Rita Rodrigues, Bruno Sousa and Carolina Baptista, wrote this “profusely illustrated work that combines narrative, science and games”. In her opinion, “Lessons Learned” “is more than just a book”. It is, rather, “an interactive experience, which integrates a game between its pages and invites the reader to explore, in a playful way, the main products, learnings and impacts of the project. Everything is presented in accessible language, designed to reach audiences of all ages”. From Parque Infante D. Pedro to the city(ies) Its digital version will soon be available on the websites of both EduCITY and UA, as announced at the time. However, those who attended the session, which was enlivened musically by violinist Davys Moreno and his wife, Maya Yalay Yama, were entitled to a free copy of the book, which, as explained by the author and also coordinator of the project, «reports all the activity developed [since January 2022] within the scope of EduCITY». Over the course of around 200 pages, organised into 11 chapters, we see the result of three years of work that started from the “success” of Edu- PARK, where children and adults explore the Infante D. Pedro Park using augmented reality, discovering tree species, historical tiles and scientific curiosities while playing and learning. With EduCITY, recognized with the 1st INOVA+ 2024 Prize, that park gave way to the city of Aveiro and other similar cities, even beyond borders, "where games are also being created. The application (available on the Play Store, App Store, etc.) now invites us to explore streets and emblematic buildings of Aveiro, transforming them into authentic outdoor classrooms, where learning can be done in a contextualized, authentic and fun way. The city becomes a living laboratory, where citizens take on the role of "active scientists" and agents of change. Everything happens through challenges, augmented reality, scores and interactive routes - always with the company of the Flamingo mascot!

One of the most distinctive features of EduCITY is that it allows teachers, students and community members to actively participate in creating their own educational games, tailored to school curricula and local challenges. This collaborative and creative approach can be applied to any city in the world, making the project scalable and truly global. It is a way of learning by doing that simultaneously promotes citizenship, scientific thinking and awareness of sustainability - all with a strong interdisciplinary basis and connecting knowledge to lived reality.

Funding from the Foundation for Science and Technology has ended, but the innovative project coordinated by Lúcia Pombo, a researcher at CIDTFF (Centre for Research in Didactics and Technology in Trainer Training) at the University of Aveiro (UA), is set to continue. After all, with the collaboration protocol signed yesterday at the ATLAS Building in Aveiro, EduCITY activities will become part of the training offer of Fábrica Centro Ciência Viva de Aveiro. However, even before the signing, the book “Lessons Learned - EduCITY” was launched. Lúcia Pombo, together with Margarida M. Marques, João Ferreira-Santos, Rita Rodrigues, Bruno Sousa and Carolina Baptista, wrote this “profusely illustrated work that combines narrative, science and games”. In her opinion, “Lessons Learned” “is more than just a book”. It is, rather, “an interactive experience, which integrates a game between its pages and invites the reader to explore, in a playful way, the main products, learnings and impacts of the project. Everything is presented in accessible language, designed to reach audiences of all ages”. From Parque Infante D. Pedro to the city(ies) Its digital version will soon be available on the websites of both EduCITY and UA, as announced at the time. However, those who attended the session, which was enlivened musically by violinist Davys Moreno and his wife, Maya Yalay Yama, were entitled to a free copy of the book, which, as explained by the author and also coordinator of the project, «reports all the activity developed [since January 2022] within the scope of EduCITY». Over the course of around 200 pages, organised into 11 chapters, we see the result of three years of work that started from the “success” of Edu- PARK, where children and adults explore the Infante D. Pedro Park using augmented reality, discovering tree species, historical tiles and scientific curiosities while playing and learning. With EduCITY, recognized with the 1st INOVA+ 2024 Prize, that park gave way to the city of Aveiro and other similar cities, even beyond borders, "where games are also being created. The application (available on the Play Store, App Store, etc.) now invites us to explore streets and emblematic buildings of Aveiro, transforming them into authentic outdoor classrooms, where learning can be done in a contextualized, authentic and fun way. The city becomes a living laboratory, where citizens take on the role of "active scientists" and agents of change. Everything happens through challenges, augmented reality, scores and interactive routes - always with the company of the Flamingo mascot!

One of the most distinctive features of EduCITY is that it allows teachers, students and community members to actively participate in creating their own educational games, tailored to school curricula and local challenges. This collaborative and creative approach can be applied to any city in the world, making the project scalable and truly global. It is a way of learning by doing that simultaneously promotes citizenship, scientific thinking and awareness of sustainability - all with a strong interdisciplinary basis and connecting knowledge to lived reality.

Funding from the Foundation for Science and Technology has ended, but the innovative project coordinated by Lúcia Pombo, a researcher at CIDTFF (Centre for Research in Didactics and Technology in Trainer Training) at the University of Aveiro (UA), is set to continue. After all, with the collaboration protocol signed yesterday at the ATLAS Building in Aveiro, EduCITY activities will become part of the training offer of Fábrica Centro Ciência Viva de Aveiro. However, even before the signing, the book “Lessons Learned - EduCITY” was launched. Lúcia Pombo, together with Margarida M. Marques, João Ferreira-Santos, Rita Rodrigues, Bruno Sousa and Carolina Baptista, wrote this “profusely illustrated work that combines narrative, science and games”. In her opinion, “Lessons Learned” “is more than just a book”. It is, rather, “an interactive experience, which integrates a game between its pages and invites the reader to explore, in a playful way, the main products, learnings and impacts of the project. Everything is presented in accessible language, designed to reach audiences of all ages”. From Parque Infante D. Pedro to the city(ies) Its digital version will soon be available on the websites of both EduCITY and UA, as announced at the time. However, those who attended the session, which was enlivened musically by violinist Davys Moreno and his wife, Maya Yalay Yama, were entitled to a free copy of the book, which, as explained by the author and also coordinator of the project, «reports all the activity developed [since January 2022] within the scope of EduCITY». Over the course of around 200 pages, organised into 11 chapters, we see the result of three years of work that started from the “success” of Edu- PARK, where children and adults explore the Infante D. Pedro Park using augmented reality, discovering tree species, historical tiles and scientific curiosities while playing and learning. With EduCITY, recognized with the 1st INOVA+ 2024 Prize, that park gave way to the city of Aveiro and other similar cities, even beyond borders, "where games are also being created. The application (available on the Play Store, App Store, etc.) now invites us to explore streets and emblematic buildings of Aveiro, transforming them into authentic outdoor classrooms, where learning can be done in a contextualized, authentic and fun way. The city becomes a living laboratory, where citizens take on the role of "active scientists" and agents of change. Everything happens through challenges, augmented reality, scores and interactive routes - always with the company of the Flamingo mascot!

One of the most distinctive features of EduCITY is that it allows teachers, students and community members to actively participate in creating their own educational games, tailored to school curricula and local challenges. This collaborative and creative approach can be applied to any city in the world, making the project scalable and truly global. It is a way of learning by doing that simultaneously promotes citizenship, scientific thinking and awareness of sustainability - all with a strong interdisciplinary basis and connecting knowledge to lived reality.