An Inspiring Job Shadowing Journey at the Social Hackathon Umbria 2026 in Italy

As part of the ELE_VET project, a delegation of VET teachers and educators from the partner countries had the opportunity to participate in a dedicated job shadowing activity during the Social Hackathon Umbria 2026 (SHU2026) in Italy.

Social Hackathon Umbria (SHU) is an international educational and innovation event that brings together students, educators, innovators, organisations, and communities to co-create digital solutions addressing real-world social challenges. Through hackathon activities, workshops, laboratories, and networking opportunities, SHU promotes digital skills development, creativity, teamwork, and social innovation. The 2026 edition, held from in July in Cascia (Umbria), focused on the theme of Peace and encouraged participants to develop innovative digital solutions connected to sustainable development and the UN 2030 Agenda.

Within this framework, the 1-week ELE_VET job shadowing activity aimed to provide the selected VET teachers with a unique opportunity to experience an international educational hackathon from the inside, observe innovative teaching practices, and exchange knowledge with educators and learners from different countries.

From 14 to 15 July, participants took part in a series of engaging seminars, gaining new insights, exchanging experiences with colleagues from different countries, and exploring innovative approaches to teaching and learning. These activities created the foundations for an international community of teachers and students, encouraging collaboration and knowledge sharing.

On 16 July, the delegation travelled to Cascia, where participants attended a dedicated seminar and met the winners of a previous Hackathon edition, organised by VET institutions. Through their stories and experiences, teachers discovered how the Social Hackathon model can support creativity, problem-solving, and project-based learning, while encouraging students to develop solutions with a real social impact.

During the following days, participants had the chance to experience the hackathon from a behind-the-scenes perspective. On 17 July, they joined interactive workshops and activities combining education, creativity, teamwork, and skills development. These sessions allowed teachers to observe educational practices, explore collaborative methodologies, and collect ideas for implementing similar initiatives in their own schools.

On 18 July, some members of the delegation contributed as jury members, evaluating participants’ ideas and projects and gaining a deeper understanding of the mentoring and assessment processes behind an international educational hackathon.

The programme concluded on 19 July with the SHU2026 Closing Ceremony, celebrating the achievements of participants and marking the end of an inspiring learning journey.

Throughout the job shadowing activity, teachers benefited from dedicated sessions with educators, networking opportunities, and exchanges within an international community of professionals. The experience provided them with new teaching methodologies, international contacts for future cooperation, inspiration for project-based learning activities, and practical ideas for organising school hackathons based on the Social Hackathon approach.

In addition to the educational activities, participants also had the opportunity to discover Italy’s rich cultural heritage through visits to Vatican City, Rome, the Colosseum, and the Trevi Fountain, combining professional development with cultural exchange.

The SHU2026 job shadowing experience represented a valuable opportunity to connect education, innovation, and international cooperation. By bringing together educators from different countries, the activity strengthened the exchange of good practices and equipped VET teachers with new tools and perspectives to inspire creativity, collaboration, and active learning in their classrooms.