Catalysing innovations by, with & for kids
In the international VIVITA Vista project, children created products or services by solving problems that were relevant to them. Rasmele, a team of Rasa (9 years old) and Amelia (11 years old), started their future food journey by simply wishing to upgrade children's eating experience in schools by creating a future food machine - an innovative canteen/vending machine for schools under the mentorship of Veronika Guželytė. By collaborating with Kaunas Technology University Chemical Technology Faculty scientists, and working in labs, this process took the team to the next phase of research.
Working with designers and food experts, Rasmele realised that by learning during the process, they could share the knowledge and experience gained with other children to initiate co-creation, innovation and moderate consumption. The theme itself - school meals - is a worldwide problem and many experts are trying to tackle it. School as an institution is very complicated, so many innovations, related to food are not explored yet. After a lot of research in schools and other relevant areas, it was decided to organise a food design festival for children to draw attention to the food of the future, sustainability and health choices.
The Future Food Design Festival for Kids, organised by VIVITA Lithuania, aims to expose food design and food innovation to children (aged 5-16 years old), building children's healthy lifestyle skills and helping them to develop the confidence to imagine the future and create it.
The festival is a celebration of innovation and collaboration - it will feature educational workshops, interactive exhibits, and inspirational talks. It's a platform where kids' ideas are valued, and where the world gets a glimpse of the incredible potential that young innovators like Rasa and Amelija, collectively known as Rasmele, hold.
While doing the research, Rasmele noticed that we need to fully understand how the human digestion system works if we wish to create nutritious, healthy future food and kids would be able to take full responsibility for their decisions creating innovation for future generations.
Subjects like these and similar will be part of our workshops along with professionals who will help kids uncover the scientific side of the matter. The active ways of VIVITA learning methods ensure that the learning process will be immersive as well as interesting.
It’s crucial to figure out the eating habits of modern children, so Rasmele, together with a group of youngsters, will tackle existing norms, patterns, and conceptions linked to the texture, colour, and shape of the food that kids eat these days.
Food design experts will help us analyse the subtleties of shaping healthier eating choices. The creative workshops allow us to delve into the actual, everyday processes of making future food happen, at the same time hearing the opinion of each participant on how they could impact the relevant matters.
This is an innovative and multidisciplinary event that aims to explore the intersection of food, science, technology, and creativity. Its scope encompasses a wide range of activities and initiatives designed to:
The goal behind this is to uncover food design and food tech innovation for kids, shaping healthier eating habits and helping children gain confidence to create a more nutritious future food experience.
