On October 19, 2023, the multiplier event of the project „ADaPT4Future: ADult People create Technologies for their Future” was held in Lithuania. The event took place at Kaunas Municipal Vincas Kudirka Public Library, Parkas department, P. Lukšio g. 58, Kaunas.
Target audiences were these: on one hand, adult learners and educators; on the other hand, school students and teachers. In the project application, it was not planned to involve participants from the school education sector, but we decided to use the opportunity and explore the potential of the transferability of the project results to this sector as well.
The target groups were addressed via Facebook posts and posters in the library departments in Kaunas city and region, as well as by emailing campaign.
56 participants attended the event: librarians from Kaunas city, Kaunas region and Kazlų Rūda libraries; Adult learners; Students and teachers from schools in Kaunas. Three of the librarians were from Kaunas Municipal Vincas Kudirka Public Library, which is an official project partner. Although they were not previously involved in the project, we do not count them in the number of participants eligible for a project grant. Therefore, the declared number of eligible participants is 53.
The main objectives of the event were as follows:
1. To share the best practices from the project and encourage the participants, both educators and learners, to put the 3D technology into practice themselves;
2. To offer hands-on activities based on the methodological materials developed in the project in order to demonstrate that the first steps in the 3D technology are suitable for everyone;
3. To maximize the spread of the project’s results to other target groups, namely, school students and teachers;
4. To establish contacts between institutions and organizations active in the field of formal and non-formal education.
The event started with the project coordinator presenting the goals, the activities, and the main results and achievements of the project. Afterwards, the educator from the library who was facilitating the 3D workshops shared the creative projects developed by adult learners as well as the best practices from the piloting stage. Later, the 3D technology teacher from Robotikos mokykla introduced the possibilities of 3D technology and the contents of the methodological materials developed within the project. The platform play.gaminu.eu was presented to those gathered, where the methodical materials created during this project are available to all interested parties.
The presentations were followed by a hands-on activity where participants were offered to try out a basic 3D printing programme TinkerCAD and create a simple design with their own element (a name or any other preferred detail). Some of the participants were familiar with the software used in the project, but the majority had no previous knowledge of 3D printing. The designs were later printed and delivered to the participants.
The main outcomes of the event:
1) Project results were disseminated to a variety and a big number of participants;
2) Participants were encouraged to make the first steps in the 3D technology;
3) Contacts were established among formal and non-formal education sector organizations;
4) Transferability to the school education sector was evaluated positively.
