When people hear the words Living Lab, they often imagine futuristic facilities or scientific pilot centres.
But at Vilniaus kolegija (VIKO), a Living Lab is something much more approachable: a collaborative space where educators, students, and communities work together to test new ideas that make everyday life healthier and more sustainable.
Through the EIT Food “FoodEducators” programme, VIKO used its Living Lab to bring food literacy into the heart of Lithuanian schools - reaching over 11,500 students in just two years and helping to reshape how young people learn about food.
A Living Lab That Brings Innovation Into Daily Life
As the national partner, VIKO transformed its Living Lab into a practical engine for real-world experimentation. Instead of limiting innovation to campus, VIKO opened its resources, methods, and expertise to schools across Lithuania.
The Living Lab enabled:
- teacher training based on real-life teaching needs,
- co-creation of learning materials,
- rapid testing of activities in classrooms,
- feedback loops between schools and educators,
- community involvement through events and forums.
This is what makes a Living Lab powerful: it turns ideas into shared experiences that people can understand, adapt, and repeat.
Through its Living Lab, VIKO helped shift food education from theory to practice. Fourteen lesson modules were translated and tailored for Lithuania, giving teachers accessible tools they could immediately use in class. Students explored food systems, sustainability, and daily eating habits through experiments, discussions, and real-life observation. What started as lessons grew into school-wide and community-wide engagement, supported by national events, forums, and collaboration with families and municipalities.
Learning That Extends Beyond the Classroom
Because activities were practical, schools quickly began engaging families, municipalities, and community partners. VIKO’s Living Lab became a connector - linking science, education, and real-world behaviour. The programme grew into a national conversation about healthier living and responsible food choices. The momentum culminated in the FoodEducators Forum held at VIKO, where teachers, students, experts, and partners shared lesson insights and highlighted the programme’s impact. Discussions underscored a clear message: when learning is hands-on and collaborative, it is far more likely to create lasting change.
A Lithuanian Success with European Reach
Although strongly embedded in Lithuania, VIKO’s Living Lab contributes to a wider transformation across 15 European countries participating in FoodEducators. The Lithuanian experience shows how a university-led Living Lab can empower educators, engage communities, and deliver measurable results that align with Europe’s broader goals for healthier, more sustainable food systems.
VIKO plans to continue expanding its Living Lab activities, developing new practices and strengthening the national community of educators committed to raising a healthier generation. The lesson is simple: innovation doesn’t need to be complicated—when learning becomes tangible, students change, families change, and communities change.
