CoC Playful Minds (CoC) is a non-profit organization with basis in Billund (Denmark) aimed at making Billund the Capital of Children by developing co-creation programs with children. Currently, CoC develops three different programs grounded in playful learning: Playful Skills, Playful Spaces and Playful Innovation. Alejandra Celis Vargas (Aalborg University Copenhagen), one of the ESRs involved in ODECO, is doing a professional secondment of several months at CoC.

Alejandra’s research project is aimed at creating tools and methods for developing Open Data skills in elementary school students. In this way, Open Data skills might enable children to act in their everyday life and face future challenges. During the secondment, Alejandra’s focus is on conducting a pilot for her empirical research studies while also getting involved in CoC programs in order to mutually learn and enhance research methods and co-creation practices.

Alejandra kicked-offed her secondment with an inspiring collaborative meeting with the CoC Playful Minds team. The event helped to develop and agree on a common definition of Open Data with the CoC team. During the meeting, also some interesting projects were identified to further investigate as part of the research project.