In the DOIT project, funded by the EC as part of Horizon 2020, pilot implementations of projects with children were examined to see to what extent these competencies of Entrepreneurial Education were promoted: more than 1,000 children and adolescents from 6 to 16 years in 10 European countries have worked in makerspaces on innovative ideas and prototypes that contribute to the sustainability goals of the United Nations. In Austria, the pilot project was carried out at, among others, the Salzburg elementary school of the Franciscans in Schwarzstrasse and at the bhak/bhas Hallein.

The coordinator, Dr. Sandra Schön, Senior Researcher at Salzburg Research, is now presenting a seminar on “Social Innovation” on January 23, 2020 to a specialist audience of more than 110 people after the invitation of the European Research Council in Brussels.

The DOIT accompanying research led by the Austrian project partners from the Center for Social Innovation (Vienna), for example, showed that the creativity and self-efficacy of the young participants increase moderately after the workshops (lasting at least 15 hours) and are significantly higher. This is a surprisingly clear effect. This success should strengthen the fact that the demands for more practice-oriented projects within the framework of early entrepreneurship education that have existed for several years have been implemented across Europe.

The project management also clarified this requirement in the presentation: “Every European child would benefit from a DOIT experience, that is social innovation in a makerspace and the public presentation of the results.” This appeal also linked her to the invitation to the final conference of the project in St. Virgil, Salzburg on March 19 and 20, 2020, and to participate and support the project’s free online course.

Related Links:

• The project: https://www.doit-europe.net/
• The presenation at the ERC (slides): https://www.doit-europe.net/node/320
• The conference: https://www.doit-europe.net/conference-2020
• The online course: https://imoox.at/mooc/go/doit