A simple strawberry can instantly transport us back to our childhood, evoking powerful feelings of home, identity, and belonging. This profound connection between human emotion and the past is at the heart of a new effort to bring the youth of Naoussa closer to their local history. Recently, the EduQuest team traveled to Šentjur, Slovenia, to join partners from five countries for the first in-person gathering of the HUP Hackathon, a pan-European initiative designed to transform how young people experience cultural heritage.
In smaller, rural communities with rich histories, there is a growing challenge: younger generations often feel disconnected from their local heritage, viewing it as a collection of static facts rather than a living part of their identity. This disconnection contributes to the broader exodus of youth from provincial towns. To address this, the HUP Hackathon initiative brings together seven partner organizations from Greece, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Portugal to co-design new, deeply human-centered solutions.
During the two-day gathering in Slovenia, the EduQuest team participated in intensive training on Value-Based Heritage Interpretation and the Designathon method. These creative approaches shift the focus away from simply memorizing historical dates. Instead, they ask how historical spaces and artifacts can speak directly to a young person’s core values and modern life. By learning to interpret history through the lens of shared human experiences, the team explored how to make local heritage sites feel relevant, engaging, and emotionally powerful for the next generation.
EduQuest is now working to adapt these innovative tools for the local community in Naoussa. By providing educators, youth workers, and local cultural sites with these new methodologies, the goal is to create interactive and deeply personal experiences for the youth of the region. We believe that when young people discover the living magic in their own roots, they build a stronger foundation for their future and help our entire community thrive.
