Project M3.3.B/ORG.R.C/002/C/2024

The Create and Innovate in Childhood and Adolescence Event seeks to continue the scientific dissemination and training activities developed by NICA.UAc which, since its formation, have relied on the support provided by DRCT for the organization of scientific events. Having a loyal audience, with varied training, professions and interests in the area of ​​childhood and adolescence, throughout its history, NICA.UAc events have been characterized by their dynamism, proximity to the participants' professional practices and the interdisciplinary character that , characterizing the Center, extends to the events it organizes. This year, the event we will hold will seek to bring some scientific and practical contributions in the area of ​​creation and pedagogical innovation in childhood and adolescence, allowing us to respond to the needs for updating the scientific and pedagogical knowledge of early childhood educators, teachers, psychologists, sociologists, assistants social groups, students and other professionals, through debate and sharing of knowledge around this topic. The broader theme of the event allowed the integration of contributions that meet several cross-cutting areas of RIS3 Azores 2022-2027, such as “Environment and climate action”, “Digital transition and economy 4.0” and “Quality of life and social development”. Furthermore, the themes of the conferences and workshops also meet several Sustainable Development Goals: Quality Education (goal 4, through communication on pedagogical innovation and communication on the integration of digital technologies in educational contexts), Reducing Inequalities (goal 10, through the workshop on innovating learning through play), and Sustainable Production and Consumption (objective 12, through the workshop on creative recycling - combating waste by taking advantage of disposables). The event will take place in person for two days, and will feature the participation of four specialists from different professional and research areas from different locations, including a regional one on the island of Pico (Ana Casals, Artisan, Degree in Conservation and Restoration of Furniture by the Faculty of Science and Technology of Universidade Nova de Lisboa with extensive experience in organizing workshops in the area of ​​recycling) and three national ones (Marco Bento, Professor and Researcher, at the Escola Superior de Educação de Coimbra; Ana Cristina Almeida, Assistant Professor at Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Coimbra; and Ana Cláudia Loureiro, Adjunct Professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança), from Bragança and Coimbra. The meeting will feature two communications (Marco Bento and Ana Cláudia Loureiro) and two workshops (Ana Cristina Almeida and Ana Casals). The different scientific areas (Pedagogy, digital technology, psychology and arts/conservation and restoration) and the activities of the invited specialists suggest moments of interdisciplinary sharing, exchange of ideas, with reflection, discussion and learning. Given the scope of the topic, this event is aimed at a very wide audience, and may be of interest to professionals and researchers from different areas involved in working with children and adolescents in a variety of contexts, as well as the general public in the community interested in this topic.

Considering that the Interdisciplinary Center for Children and Adolescents (NICA-UAc) seeks to promote research on issues of childhood and adolescence and their development, the event “Create and Innovate in Childhood and Adolescence” has several scientific objectives: a) Offer its participants the opportunity to attend two conferences given by national teachers in the area of ​​pedagogical innovation and digital technologies; b) Acquire theoretical-practical skills through the possibility of holding two workshops, one on the theme of playing and the other on creative recycling; c) Discuss, analyze, debate, problematize and disseminate research and good practices, promoting better understanding and deepening the theme of the event; d) Have a unique opportunity for reflection, discussion and learning with other professionals; e) Bring to the Azores knowledge, know-how, and sharing of experiences from professional specialists in the area of ​​pedagogical innovation, digital technologies, play and creative recycling – with a focus on current core themes (e.g., digital transition, environment); f) Allow the establishment/expansion of collaboration networks between professionals/researchers from different areas and institutions, encouraging future opportunities for collaboration in research projects/partnerships; g) Strengthen the visibility of NICA-UAc's scientific contributions in the community and, in particular, in the Azores, an outermost region where the general public does not always have the opportunity to access training (more accessible to those residing on the Mainland).