<< Background >>According to the European Commission report (2017) titled “Strengthening European Identity through Education and Culture”, education and culture play an important role for people to “(i) know better each other across borders, and (ii) experience and be aware of what it means to be European.” The reflection about the future of EU also entails a reflection on the strength of common identity and values of its citizens. Strengthening our European identity still remains essential and education and culture are the best vectors to ensure this. Moreover, one of the priorities of the Erasmus programme is to strengthen European identity and increase young people's participation in EU society which are considering critical for the European Union's future. It is clear that the politics of European identity in Europe has become more important following the recent economic and migration crises which have fuelled a rise in nationalist and anti-EU sentiment across Europe and exposed deep divisions among governments and citizens about the value, purpose and future of the EU – most strikingly evident in the Brexit referendum vote in the United Kingdom (Mendez & Bachtler, 2016). To add to this, the recent health crisis has affected trust in public institutions concerning the management of the health crisis. However, it is important for European citizens to believe more in EU institutions, feel connected and share the same values and understanding about the EU.But this is a challenging task given the EU’s territorial diversity and the current state of knowledge and distrust that young people, but also adults, have toward EU institutions. As for adults, across 10 European nations surveyed by Pew Research Center in 2019, a median of 62% stated that the EU does not understand the needs of its citizens (https://pewrsr.ch/3xzhwAl). As for students, a survey contacted by EUPlay partners revealed that students are not well informed about European matters.<< Objectives >>The aim of project EUPlay (Discovering the EU by PLAYing) is concerned with developing novel digital tools by which educators can attract, reach out and assist students to raise awareness on and understand the European Union context, the EU values and also to foster their cultural identity and cultural awareness. Moreover, educators will enhance their understanding on the importance of preparing students for a world where digital systems are prevalent across all industries. To achieve this aim, the following objectives have been set:OB1: To design and develop the Teachers’ Education 4.0 Guide OB2: To develop the EUPlay digital interactive bookOB3: To develop the EUPlay Treasure Hunt Digital GameOB4: To develop the EUPlay e-learning platform that will provide EU teachers with a set of tools and resourcesOB5: To test and evaluate the impact of the EUPlay e-learning platform and its resourcesOB6: To strengthen the professional profiles of educators, by providing them with freely available tools and resourcesOB7: To disseminate and exploit the results of EUPlay project, and in particular ensure that its results will be openly available to all across Europe<< Implementation >>The following activities are going to be implemented during the project lifetime:1. Development of the Project Results: Four (4) Project Results will be developed under project EUPlay: the development of “Teachers’ Education 4.0 Guide” (R1), “The EUPlay digital interactive book” (R2), “The EUPlay Treasure Hunt Digital Game” (R3) and the EUPlay e-learning platform which will house all the educational material developed under the first three results2. Face-to-face and online meeting3. Multiplier Events and Dissemination activities<< Results >>Through project EUPlay the following results are expected:-The Teachers’ Education 4.0 Guide which aims to provide a framework to teachers to understand what Education 4.0 is, how it is connected to Industry 4.0 and the importance of aligning teaching and learning methods with the skills needed in the future. In addition, it aims to prepare the ground for the implementation of the following results.-The EUPlay digital interactive book which will present the European Union's History explaining what EU is, what it does, the EU values as well as biographies of important leaders who were the driving force behind the formation of the EU.-The EUPlay Treasure Hunt Digital Game which will help students discover and engage with Europe's cultural heritage, and reinforce a sense of belonging to a common European space.-The EUPlay e-learning platform which will host all the project results.-Development of the e-learning platform in which all the created material will be included. It will be a valuable resource for both teachers and students. The possibility of enriching the platform with more material created after the project completion will be open.Moreover, at least one Multiplier Event will be held in each partner country with the aim to raise awareness of the EUPlay project.