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At the press conference, which was symbolically held in the Pula amphitheater Arena, a prototype of social innovation was presented - the Puzzle Arena for the blind and visually impaired.

This is the result of the increasingly successful cooperation between the Juraj Dobrila University in Pula and the Foundation for Encouraging Partnership and Civil Society Development. Namely, Associate Professor Sven Maričić, PhD, as the director of the Science and Technology Institute "Visio" and professor at the University of Juraj Dobrila in Pula, in collaboration with his students, led by assistant Ivan Veljović, as part of the project 3D and Virtual Reallity for VET created a prototype puzzle for the blind and visually impaired. Through several hours of the course, students were given a brief insight into what social innovation is, and the given task - a problem for which they needed to find a solution. Everything took place with the professional help and knowledge of the director of the Pula school for the education of children with special needs Višnja Radunović Popović and the professor of the Secondary Medical School in Pula Danijela Panić and the director of the Foundation, Helga Možé.

The goal of this 3D puzzle is to help blind and partially sighted people imagine what the Arena actually looks like, then encourage, especially children, to agree, which will encourage and improve their motor and cognitive development in the long run, all through play and fun. Namely, the puzzle should be arranged following the markings on the top, and since they are marked on the top with different contrasting colors, it will help the visually impaired to match. However, these puzzles are also good for children who have different special needs - they can help calm and concentrate, which is a very useful and interesting didactic subject for use in preschools and schools, and institutions specializing in working with children.

"This is just one in a series of interesting products that can help vulnerable groups, developed through a process of social innovation developed jointly by the University and the Foundation, with the aim of creating new social innovations as solutions to social problems."

Helga Možé, Foundation Manager

The press conference was also attended by the Vice-Rector for Students, Educational Programs and Cooperation, Assoc. dr. sc. Mirjana Radetić-Paić, Vice-Rector for Research, Arts and Cooperation prof. dr. sc. Marinko Škare, who got involved online, and representatives of the Association of Blind and Visually Impaired People of the Istrian County, who praised the 3D model and stated that more such items, puzzles, and especially toys for children are needed.

Students included: Robert Krajačić, Selma Bitić, Manuel Bratović, Ante Bačić, Karlo Polić, Mateo Gregorović, Juraj Vivoda, David Ivanek, Ivan Maretić.

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