The goal of the Community Knowledge Base project is to ensure that Baranya County’s rich local heritage—its history, traditions, and natural and cultural treasures—finally becomes truly visible to children and families, specifically in the places where most of their daily lives unfold: in schools and in the digital space.
Today, young people primarily obtain information through smart devices and visually engaging, experiential content, while local knowledge, stories, and role models that strengthen Baranya’s identity appear only to a limited extent in education and social media. The project aims to fill this gap: we “translate” the traditional repository of values into the language of Generation Alpha and make it available to schools, educators, and families in a modern, interactive format.
The project is being implemented under the call for proposals titled “Local Human Development” within the Regional and Urban Development Operational Program Plus (TOP_PLUSZ-3.1.3-23) entitled “Local Human Development,” with a grant of 642,692,212 HUF, representing 100% funding intensity, in the form of a non-repayable grant. The consortium is led by the Baranya County Government, with the Baranya County Government Office and the Baranya County Development Agency Nonprofit Ltd. serving as implementing partners. The project will be implemented over a 36-month period, with a planned completion date of June 30, 2029; the exact start date will be aligned with the entry into force of the grant agreement, and according to current plans, implementation will begin in 2026.
One of the most important outcomes of the Community Knowledge Base will be an online repository of local identity curriculum materials, in which the treasures of Baranya County are presented in the form of up-to-date digital resources that are well-suited for classroom use. With the help of education experts, we are compiling these materials to align with the National Core Curriculum, so that teachers can easily integrate them into their daily work. In addition to the teaching resource library, a project documentation database will also be created to preserve, organize, and continuously expand the knowledge we have created together over the long term.
Key components include the “Treasures of Baranya” interactive book and the “Treasures of Baranya” VR lab established in Pécs, where students can explore the county’s treasures in a virtual environment. Experience from the previous Baranya Treasures program showed that children are particularly receptive to this type of experiential learning, so now we are taking it a step further: we are expanding the logic and tools of the virtual traveling exhibition to create a permanently accessible, expandable repository of knowledge. The VR lab will be located in Pécs, the county seat, so that students from as many towns and schools as possible can access this experience.
The project is not only about strengthening local identity, but also about imparting practical knowledge that is important for everyday life. We are developing an interactive crime prevention education program and a bicycle traffic safety program, both designed for use in schools and tailored to students’ digital media consumption habits. The curriculum is accompanied by social media campaigns to ensure that the most important messages—preventing victimization and promoting safe transportation—reach children and their families where they spend most of their time: online.
However, the Community Knowledge Base is not confined to the classroom: during the project, we will organize several educational development conferences involving local education stakeholders, development workshops for teachers, experts, and local stakeholders, as well as the Baranya Treasures Value Festivals, which will take place in a different town each time. These events provide an opportunity for local communities to meet, showcase their own values, and brainstorm together on how to further engage younger generations in local life.
The project places special emphasis on equal opportunity: although children are the primary target group, our programs and content are open to everyone—including women, the elderly, people living in extreme poverty, Roma communities, and people with disabilities. Among the horizontal aspects, equal opportunity training and making information and communication technology accessible are prioritized: the project website and related content are designed to be accessible to as many people as possible.
Overall, the Community Knowledge Base is a long-term investment in Baranya’s future that simultaneously strengthens local identity, supports educational renewal, reduces regional disparities, and fosters community cohesion. The digital learning materials created as part of the project, the VR lab, the interactive book, community programs, and festivals all serve to ensure that children in Baranya proudly know and represent the values of their local region and become active, responsible members of their own communities in the future.
