PAFSE · Project

Digital Education Packages That Train Schools and Communities to Prevent Epidemics

healthTestedTRL 5Thin data (2/5)

Imagine schools teaming up with universities and local organizations to teach teenagers how epidemics spread and how communities can protect themselves. PAFSE created digital learning packages and project-based activities for students aged 12-15, helping them understand microbes, disease prevention, and how to make sense of scientific evidence. Think of it as a ready-made curriculum kit that turns classrooms into mini public health training grounds, reaching over 3,000 students and their families across four countries.

By the numbers

3,000+

students and families engaged in project activities

1,000+

schools reached through dissemination

10+

novel digital educational resources created

80+

digital learning objects available for use

educational scenarios developed

countries in the consortium

consortium partners

The business problem

What needed solving

Schools and communities lack engaging, evidence-based educational tools to prepare populations for epidemics and public health emergencies. Existing STEM curricula rarely cover disease prevention, leaving a gap that became painfully visible during COVID-19. Training providers and EdTech companies need validated, ready-to-deploy content that actually works with non-expert audiences.

The solution

What was built

PAFSE produced at least 10 novel digital educational resources, 80 digital learning objects, and 5 educational scenarios for teaching public health and epidemic preparedness to students aged 12-15. These include media elements such as texts, illustrations, videos, and presentations, all piloted across 4 countries.

Audience

Who needs this

EdTech companies building STEM or health education platformsCorporate training providers developing epidemic preparedness programsMunicipal public health departments running community prevention campaignsSchool networks looking for validated public health curriculum packagesNGOs working on health literacy in underserved communities

Business applications

Who can put this to work

EdTech & Digital Learning

SME

Target: EdTech companies developing STEM or health education platforms

If you are an EdTech company looking to expand your digital content library with proven public health education modules — this project developed at least 10 digital educational resources and 80 digital learning objects, plus 5 educational scenarios tested across 4 countries with more than 3,000 students. These are ready-made, piloted curriculum packages you could license or adapt for your platform.

Corporate Health & Safety Training

any

Target: Occupational health training providers or large employers with epidemic preparedness needs

If you are a corporate training provider struggling to create engaging epidemic preparedness content — PAFSE built project-based learning packages that teach people how to collect, analyze, and act on scientific evidence about communicable diseases. The materials were designed for non-experts and tested with over 3,000 participants, proving they work for audiences without scientific backgrounds.

Public Health Services

any

Target: Municipal health departments or public health NGOs running community prevention programs

If you are a public health organization that needs to engage communities in disease prevention — PAFSE created an open schooling model that connects schools with universities and civil society to address public health challenges. The approach was tested across 4 countries and designed to be replicable for other health issues like child obesity or climate change initiatives.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or adopt these educational materials?

The project produced open digital educational resources and learning objects. Based on available project data, pricing or licensing terms are not specified — the materials were developed under a EUR 1,455,075 EU-funded Coordination and Support Action. You would need to contact the coordinator at Universidade Nova de Lisboa to discuss licensing or adaptation terms.

Can these materials scale beyond the pilot countries?

The project was tested across 4 countries (Cyprus, Greece, Poland, Portugal) with more than 3,000 students and disseminated to more than 1,000 schools. The open schooling model was explicitly designed to be applicable to other public health challenges and contexts, suggesting it was built for scalability.

Who owns the intellectual property for these educational resources?

The project was funded as a Coordination and Support Action under Horizon 2020. IP ownership typically stays with the consortium partners. The coordinator is Universidade Nova de Lisboa — any licensing discussion would start there.

Are the digital learning packages available in multiple languages?

The consortium spans 4 countries (Portugal, Greece, Poland, Cyprus), so materials were likely developed or adapted for multiple languages. Based on available project data, at least 10 novel digital educational resources and 80 digital learning objects were created, but specific language availability would need to be confirmed with the consortium.

How were these materials validated?

The materials were piloted with more than 3,000 students aged 12-15 and their families across 4 countries. At least 5 educational scenarios were tested. The project ran for 3 years (2021-2024), providing substantial time for iteration and validation.

Can this model be adapted for topics beyond epidemic preparedness?

Yes — the project objective explicitly states the open schooling model is applicable to other public health challenges such as child obesity, and to school involvement in climate change initiatives. The underlying project-based learning methodology is topic-agnostic.

Consortium

Who built it

The PAFSE consortium has 9 partners across 4 countries (Portugal, Greece, Poland, Cyprus), heavily weighted toward academia with 6 universities and 3 research organizations — zero industry partners. This means the educational content is scientifically rigorous but has had no commercial validation. There is 1 SME in the consortium but it is the coordinating university flagged as such, not a commercial entity. For a business looking to adopt these materials, the lack of industry involvement means you would be the first to commercialize them — which is both an opportunity (first-mover) and a risk (no market testing done).

UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOACoordinator · PT
UNIVERSIDADE DO MINHOparticipant · PT
UNIWERSYTET IM. ADAMA MICKIEWICZA WPOZNANIUparticipant · PL
INESC TEC - INSTITUTO DE ENGENHARIADE SISTEMAS E COMPUTADORES, TECNOLOGIA E CIENCIAparticipant · PT
INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE ENGENHARIA DE LISBOAparticipant · PT
PANEPISTIMIO IOANNINONparticipant · EL
UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUSparticipant · CY
INSTITOUTO TECHNOLOGIAS YPOLOGISTON KAI EKDOSEON DIOFANTOSparticipant · EL

How to reach the team

Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal — reach out to the Faculty of Science and Technology which coordinates PAFSE

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing PAFSE's digital learning packages for your platform or training program? SciTransfer can connect you with the project team and help structure a collaboration.

Order a report on this topic More in Health & Biomedical