One out of three internet users is a child. They go online at an ever-younger age and they tend to spend an increasingly amount of time on the Internet(European Framework for Safer Mobile Use by Younger Teenagers and Children, 2018).It is believed that in Europe today, children start using the internet on average when they are 7 years old (Eurobarometer 2018). They spend more time on the internet and social media, play more online games and use mobile apps, frequently without supervision by adults (The Safer Social Networking Principles for the EU, 2017).While the internet offers many opportunities for learning, communication, creativity and entertainment, it also opens up certain risks to vulnerable users such as children(A European Strategy to deliver a Better Internet for our Children, 2019).This is where Online Safety Education can make a difference, by empowering and protecting children against Internet risks.The Online Safety Education has been a priority for the EC for the past decades. In 1999, the EC established the Safer Internet Programme, followed by other programmes, namely the current European Strategy for a Better Internet for Children COM(2012).According to this strategy, Online Safety Education should begin early on, when children start having regular contact with the Internet.The response to the need of addressing Online Safety early on in school and equip teachers with the resources to do it, is to provide teachers with an easy-to-use learning tool that can help overcoming their lack of competences regarding online safety topics and engage children in the learning process.Thus, the CyberAdventure project’s aim is to create a learning computer game for the Online Safety Education of children (7 – 12 years old) – the CyberAdventure Game.Additionally, project CyberAdventure will deliver a:•Toolkit, with guidelines for the use of the learning game to assist teachers and other educators•Pilot Training, involving training of teachers/trainers and testing with students to empower teachers in the field of Online Safety Education and in the use of the proposed methodology.•Website and a Facebook about the project and generically about Online Safety Education•Project presentations for target groups to disseminate the project•Project Video to promote the Game•Contest/Challenge aiming to engage children and educators in the project and to raise awareness towards the Online Safety Education topic•Sustainability Strategy that will present the guidelines for the future exploitation of results and to ensure the future impact of the projectThis initiative is led by Aston University and includes companies, a charity and schools from 4 countries:•Aston University (UK)•Satro (UK)•Advancis (Portugal)•Boon (Portugal)•UAB Karalienes Mortos mokykla (Lithuania)•CEIP San Fernando School (Spain)

The Education for Sustainable Development and STEM Education are 2 major priorities for the EU.As climate change, overpopulation, and inequalities begin to take their toll on our planet and on global human development, the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) emerged as a response in order to change attitudes and behaviours and mobilize people around the objective of Sustainability.On the Other hand, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education is key for an increasingly complex knowledge-based society. “Knowledge of and about science are integral to preparing our population to be actively engaged and responsible citizens, creative and innovative, able to work collaboratively and fully aware of and conversant with the complex challenges facing society” (Science Education for Responsible Citizenship, EC, 2015). Both Sustainable Development (SD) and STEM should be addressed from an early age. At school, children must be motivated to learn maths and science and to imagine working in these fields, and to learn about sustainability and develop attitudes and behaviours that are in line with the UN’s SD Goals. The dominant approach to STEM Education and Education for Sustainable Development in schools is still teacher-driven. This in part is responsible for the students’ lack of interest in pursuing STEM studies and careers and for not exploring to a greater length the genuine interest of children in SD topics.In this context, education of STEM and Sustainable topics must take on new models with a higher prevalence of experiential learning and that can bring together schools and other actors in the local community.The project MiniOpenLabs proposes to set-up and test a different methodology with a higher prevalence of experiential learning and relying on the collaboration between science and technology organisations, enterprises and civil society, to ensure relevant and meaningful engagement of all societal actors with science and increase the uptake of science studies, citizen science initiatives and science-based careers, employability and competitiveness.The main goal of the project is to set-up and test an open community and hands-on approach to Sustainable Development and STEM Education of children (6-12 years old), comprising:•MiniOpenLabs: the MiniOpenLabs are small laboratories, open to the local community, where children, under the guidance of teachers or other educators (including parents), may engage in STEM-based projects on sustainable development. •Activity Book: this Book will contain a set of STEM-based projects on sustainable development that may be carried out in the MiniOpenLabs.•Workshops: includes creating guidelines and running different events to capacitate teachers on the MiniOpenLabs approach and to involve the local community on STEM education activities.•Contest & Innovative Practices Booklet: this contest aims to recognise innovative practices in Sustainable Development and STEM Education in schools, giving more visibility to the need for a change in learning approaches.The project brings together Higher Education Institutions, a Centre of Engineering and Product Development and Schools from 3 countries – Spain, Portugal and Greece:•Universidade Rey Juan Carlos•CEIPSO Maestro Rodrigo•CEiiA Centre of Engineering and Product Development•Scholé•University of Western Macedonia•Anatolia Educational Group

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an increasingly important part of our lives, whether we knowingly embrace it or not. From social media to online movie platforms, AI systems penetrate human existence to offer benefits such as personalised experiences and simplify daily tasks, deeply changing the way we live.Rapid technological advances in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) promise significant economic benefits (e.g. UK GDP to be 10% higher in 2030 as a direct result of AI through increased productivity and increased quality of products). As AI systems become embedded into our daily lives and behaviours, we can also expect an increasingly higher impact of these systems on our future, namely on jobs and competences required to successful careers.With the AI market estimated to reach around 15 trillion USD by the year 2030, the push for integrating AI in the school curriculum is only growing. The delivery of this innovative gamification training package for schools, whilst exposing school teachers to the a cutting-edge research environment, will enable the 2AI project to engage and communicate effectively with school pupils, educators, policy makers, software engineers and data scientists involved in the application of AI, whilst inspiring them to become the next generation of leading innovators in that field. After completion of the project, school pupils and teachers will be fully capable of driving AI awareness education at the international level. Thus, 2AI project structure will serve as a European platform for outstanding teacher and pupil training in AI technologies and its societal implications. 2AI innovative research programme will create new learning software solutions that will aid the Road to AI and the EU Single Digital market initiative using AI in the future; it will produce novel interactive learning AI techniques to help users understand their benefits and societal implications. Additionally, we have an opportunity to engage and empower the imagination of the younger generations to shape and improve the world they are going to inherit, especially as children create unique perspectives as the first generation surrounded by AI systems.For all these reasons, it is critical to introduce or reinforce the approach to this topic with children and improve their AI literacy.AI literacy begins with a basic understanding of what AI is, the language surrounding the technological and social aspects of AI, how AI works and how it is currently playing a role in our daily lives, in addition to potential implications in jobs and careers.In a way, the objective of AI literacy is to eradicate the misconceptions around AI and to create an all-inclusive ecosystem where all members of the community are equipped with the basic skills needed to pursue further learning to better adapt to a changing world where AI will be prevalent.However, the education systems, including in the partner countries, as well as teachers and parents, are unprepared to address this complex topic, emphasising the need to (i) raise awareness about the importance of AI literacy, (ii) to make available learning resources on these topics and (iii) to equip educators to engage in learning activities with children.Project Adventure in AI - Developing Children’s AI Literacy (2AI) aims to develop a gamified approach to increase children’s (7-12 year olds) AI literacy, and to raise awareness and equip educators to address AI topics in the classrooms and in other learning contexts (including non-formal and informal learning). This gamified learning approach will include 2 main elements (Intellectual Outputs):•Digital game, creating an interactive experience to explore AI-related concepts and topics, to raise children’s AI literacy.•Gamified Workshops & Kit, for educators and children, to raise awareness about the importance of AI literacy, to developed AI-related competences and promote and empower educators in the 2AI learning approach.This initiative is led by Aston University and schools and companies from 5 countries:•Aston University (UK)•CEIPSO Maestro Rodrigo (Spain)•Advancis Business Services, Lda (Portugal)•Boon Unipessoal, Lda (Portugal)•Szkoła Podstawowa nr 1 w Kątach Wrocławskich im. Kardynała Bolesława Kominka (Poland)•Ellinogermaniki Agogi (Greece)

"Context and backgroundThe priority which the project will address is Science & Tachnology. This will be achieved by focusing on the different elements of STEAM, primarily the following four areas: Properties of Materials (through the design and building of structures); Simple Mechanisms (through the use of levers, cogs and wheels, simple hydraulics etc); Simple Circuits and Robotics. All of these different topics will be tackled in the five mobilities earmarked for this project, with each mobility focusing on one of these topics. .According to the EU Education and Training Monitor 2019, there is still underachievement in Maths and Science .The share of 15 year-olds failing to reach level 2 in the OECD's (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)for Mathematics and Science is as follows: Maths: 22.2% Science: 20.6%. This falls beneath the targeted 15%. The EU has for a long time acknowledged that primary education lays the foundations for success in this area. One of the main conclusions of the first European Conference on Primary Science and Technology Education held on the 15 & 16 October 2004 in Amsterdam states that, ""Science and Technology is the best context to develop higher order cognitive skills needed and primary school is the age to start."" (Proceedings of the European Conference on primary Science and technology Education). The project will upskill teachers in the teaching of Primary Science and Technology. It is an area in which, primary school teachers may not feel confident enough – and this project will help to address this need through training, hands on experiences, peer observations, lesson studies and pedagogical walk-throughs. This will be achieved both through collaborations with colleagues, and also with staff from schools in other countries.ObjectivesThe objectives of this project will be as follows:- To improve the teaching in Science & Technology, through the capacity building of 35 teachers on STEAM subjects.-To disseminate the acquired knowledge by the 35 participants to 50 other teachers and therefore adopt a solid train-the-trainer approach.-To strengthen the relationship between 5 schools which all possess distinct expertise on different areas of science and technology.Number and profile of participantsThe project will include 35 teachers who will take part in the different mobilities of the project. These teachers are all teachers who teach science subjects at primary school level. These were selected as they have the strongest remit when it comes to STEAM subjects. In addition to this primary school students will also take part in the project as a means for teachers to practice what they learnt during the mobilities.The planned activities to be undertaken are :-5 mobilities focusing on: - Robotics- Spain - Structures - Ireland - Mechanisms and ICT- Slovenia - Electrical circuits - Italy - Pedagogical walkthrough - Malta - Dissemination activities by each school. - Booklet developed on best practices. MethodologyDuring the school visits the teachers will be provided with the opportunity to learn from each other through lesson study (the Lesson Study approach is a method of professional development that encourages teachers to reflect on their teaching practice through a cyclical process of collaborative lesson planning, lesson observation, and examination of student learning) and pedagogical walkthroughs (This is when teachers are given the opportunity to observe lessons on a particular topic (STEAM projects in this case)) in different year groups. This will help a primary school teacher understand where his/her particular students are coming from and to what should they aspire in terms of learning experiences.Results and impactThe project will lead to the following results:-Upskilling of 35 teachers through 5 training events on STEAM subjects.-Transfer of knowledge to 50 teachers through train-the-trainer sessions.-Strengthened relationship between 5 schools.The impact of this project will be on both teachers directly and students indirectly. Here teachers will obtain necessary skill in different aspects of STEAM subjects. This will heavily impact not only their own know-how but also their ability in teaching their pupils on different aspects of science and technology. As a result of this, the project will also impact primary school children attending these different schools, who in the long-term benefit. Here the school children will be impacted as they will see the benefit of having better planned lessons and more innovative modes of learning STEAM subjects.Long-term benefitsBy having better quality lessons in STEAM subjects at a young age, youths will be more inclined to follow these areas once they grow up. This will lead to more people taking up roles in the areas based on STEAM."