OpenDot – innovation hub for social impact based in Milan – in collaboration with Kaunas University of Technology, Vivita Lithuania, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences and Design Friends is organising a new hackathon in Kaunas with the aim of helping children and their families/caregivers to lead a better lifestyle and eat healthier. The hackathon will bring together a wide range of international and local partners to develop co-designed tools, solutions or educational approaches that can generate positive change to improve health.
OpenDot will run the activity in collaboration with Vivita Lithuania, an international creative community where mentors and children share skills and help each other realise ideas in labs for children, drawing on its expertise in digital fabrication and co-design.
Both organisations will work with children aged 10 to 14 from Herojus and other Kaunas schools to develop new concepts and solutions that promote the adoption of a healthier lifestyle through an educational approach.
The hackathon will focus on the real-life challenges faced by children diagnosed with type I diabetes, as revealed by the needs assessment conducted in cooperation with Kaunas University of Technology and Lithuanian University of Health Sciences.
The prevalence of Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is increasing worldwide, largely due to a rising incidence of autoimmune diseases. Alongside the rising rates of T1DM, there is also a concerning increase in diabulimia—a dangerous eating disorder where individuals intentionally omit or reduce insulin doses to lose weight. This behavior can lead to severe
health complications, including diabetic ketoacidosis, organ failure, and even death. The growing rate of diabulimia highlights the urgent need for greater awareness, education, and support for individuals with T1DM, emphasizing the importance of mental health care alongside physical health management.
Nevertheless, Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) often develops due to a combination of factors, including unhealthy eating habits and food overtaking leading to obesity, physical inactivity, chronic stress, deficiency of sleep and genetic predispositions or family history. Unhealthy food environments, societal beauty standards, media influence, and social status can make psychological pressure which could be difficult for individuals to maintain healthy eating habits, which are crucial in preventing and managing T2DM. Both types of diabetes significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Therefore, fostering community engagement, providing education, and offering support are essential for helping children with diabetes and their families adopt and sustain healthier lifestyles. These efforts contribute to improved physical and mental well-being and promote a healthier society overall.
How can we support children with diabetes to lead healthier and happier lives? We will look at different situations: at school, at home, during sports activities and socialising.
How can we promote healthy diet education and prevention through food? We will focus on aspects such as portion sizes, balanced proportions, nutritional quality, a variety of food choices and flavour!
The event will take place from 19 to 20 September 2024 at the Vivita lab in Kaunas.
During the first two days, children, educators and specialists will collaborate and co-create in a creative marathon, supported by OpenDot designers and makers, Vivita mentors and KTU experts.
After the hackathon, students, makers and designers from Kaunas University of Technology will develop and prototype the winning solutions in a two-month mentorship programme run by OpenDot in collaboration with KTU and Design Friends.
Day 1 – 19th sept
09.00 – 11.30 work group: challenges presentation, teambuilding, brainstorming on ideas
11.30 – 12.30 lunch break
12.30 – 13.00 game break
13.00 – 16.00 work group: brainstorming, closure with a main idea for each group
Day 2 – 20th sept
09.00 – 11.30 work group: prototyping the ideas
11.30 – 13.00 lunch break
13.00 – 14.30 work group: end of prototyping and preparation of the final presentation
14:30 – 15.30 final presentation by childrens (with students from KTU)
16.00 – 17.30 Meeting with KTU students: concepts, expectations, methods for prototyping
October & November
mentoring by OpenDot for the winning team
The hackathon is an activity of the European project FEAST – Food systems that support transitions to healthy and sustainable diets (https://feast2030.eu/), which aims to facilitate the transition to a food system that is better for people and for our planet.
Credits
A project by FEAST
Realized by OpenDot
OpenDot – Project team
Laura Dellamotta – Co-Founder, Supervisor, General Project Coordinator
Giovanna Gardi – Co-Founder, Administrative Coordination and Reporting
Alessandro Masserdotti – Co-Founder, General Project Supervision
Fabrizio Pignoloni – Co-Founder, Creative Project Supervision
Cristina Biella – Project management, call writing and operational coordination
Marta Savoldelli – EU grants expert and project support
Camilla Guerci – Social media manager
OpenDot Mentors – Kaunas
Emma Pareschi – Digital fabrication expert
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or REA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme under Grant Agreement n° 101060536.
