The ENNE+ consortium traveled to Spello, Italy to meet for its 5th Transnational Project Meeting on 3–4 July 2025, coinciding with the vibrant atmosphere of the Social Hackathon Umbria 2025. This opportunity brought together project partners from across Europe, blending strategic discussions with the energy of a live innovation and social event.
Over two days, partners reviewed the latest project developments and charted the course for the next phases of ENNE+. Discussions ranged from refining the Community of Practice (CoP) platform to reshaping the challenge-based learning scenarios, ensuring they remain relevant, engaging, and adaptable to diverse VET contexts. A key highlight was the introduction of the social incubation programme and blended training course aimed at equipping the winning VET teams with the tools to design and submit high-quality Erasmus+ project proposals and scale their projects. The meeting also provided space for national partners to reflect on lessons learned from the first Eco-Digithon edition, identifying strategies to boost its reach, value and impact for future participants.
Running in parallel, the Social Hackathon Umbria 2025 transformed the historic hilltops of Umbria into a hub of creativity and problem-solving. From 3 to 6 July, young students, teachers, and education experts from around the globe worked side by side to develop solutions addressing challenges linked to diversity—bio, neuro, and socio. In parallel, participants from the national Eco-Digithons in Austria, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, hadthe opportunity to present their projects, exchange ideas with peers, and gain fresh perspectives and inspiration from an international community of innovators and changemakers
The synergy between the consortium meeting and the hackathon created a unique environment where strategy met practice. Partners could witness first-hand the enthusiasm and creativity of the students benefiting from the ENNE+ methodologies, while the participants gained access to a wider network of educators, innovators, and mentors. The winning teams from the hackathon will embark on a tailored social incubation journey, receiving mentorship and participating in knowledge-sharing activities to refine and scale their solutions.
With ongoing preparations, the momentum is building for the 2nd Eco-Digithon call, set to be launched in September 2025, including an online edition open to EU-wide VET centres, learners and teachers The meeting during the SHU 2025 showcased a shared commitment among partners: to empower VET learners and educators with the skills, tools, and international connections they need to drive sustainable and socially impactful innovation across Europe.
