Organised by the University of Limerick researchers as part of City Engage Week in September 2019, this event targeted families with children between 5 and 10 years old, and aimed to introduce +CityxChange to this young age group. The event took place in Fablab Limerick and brought together a group of children accompanied by their parents/grandparents.
The participants were invited to reimagine the city and co-design potential future smart energy and smart mobility solutions, using different types of materials – from Lego, cardboard and Styrofoam to conductive paint, textiles and electronics. The young participants worked in groups to collaboratively create a model for a green, efficient and people-friendly Limerick.
The event was advertised widely via printed flyers and social media.
While evaluating the outcomes, we came to the conclusion that the children participating were very young and their attention span was very limited. Play and the natural group dynamic took prevalence in this case. For future events, working with older children (over 10 y.o.) could lead to better results.
