Driven by enthusiasm was the promotional event of project LINGUA CUISINE that was organized on 20 Oct 2018, in Athens by the DAISSy (Digital Ambient Intelligence Sociotechnical Systems) Research Group of Hellenic Open University. The project promotes equality of access and participation in learning, with emphasis on the development of digital and linguistic skills. By using a combined educational methodology that promotes foreign language learning, digital literacy and intercultural communication through gastronomy, it helps social inclusion and prevents exclusion of people without or with few digital skills, while enhancing the creation of online digital communities with a common culinary interest. An online app for Android and iPhone has been developed as part of the project, which supports authoring and posting digital cooking recipes in six official EU languages. At the end of training, participants received a digital competence certificate based on the European standard DigComp 2.1. LINGUA CUISINE project achieved widespread adoption of this learning methodology with a focus on social inclusion of migrants and that is why project perfectly matches with the concept of project “WEMIN: Migrant Women Empowerment and Integration” (AMIF-2016-AG-INTE / grant agreement no. 776201)

The project was promoted with a specially created short video showcasing all DAISSy projects along with a respective intervention delivered by Achilles KAMEAS, Project Scientific Coordinator and Head of DAISSy Research Group. All participants were informed about the project contents and objectives and were handed the project dissemination material. The event provided a favorable environment for the announcement of the upcoming awareness WEMIN activities i.e. “A chocolate unites us!” initiative (1.11.2018, at city centre of Athens) and the launch of the short policy guide for stakeholders involved in the management of migrants integration and social inclusion (9.11.2018, at the premises of HOU). These two WEMIN awareness events will be organized by Hellenic Open University – DAISSy Research Group (Coordinator) and “Olympic Training & Consulting Ltd (partner) for promoting the existing project results and strengthening their exploitation. The presentation of WEMIN triggered questions and attracted further interest of people in the project actions and future implementation.

The event was attended by almost sixty participants from all levels of education and other sectors of activities (local authorities, civil society, etc.) and it provided a favorable environment for the innovative use of digital technology in the learning process and the development of digital skills through creative activities that unite people and favor anti-discrimination behaviors.