"""Between 50% and 80% of students in EU countries never use digital textbooks, exercise software, broadcasts/podcasts, simulations or learning games. Most teachers at primary and secondary level do not consider themselves as 'digitally confident' or able to teach digital skills effectively, and 70% would like more training in using ICTs."" (European Commission release on 'Opening up Education').As the European Commission has identified the digitization of the education and the necessity of modernizing the learning environment for the young Europeans as a top priority, the Digital Education Action Plan has been adapted including actions to support technology-use and digital competence development in education. These actions concern and lead to making better use of digital technology for teaching and learning as well as developing digital competences and skills of both teachers and their pupils. In that framework and based on the idea of introducing a new innovative e-tool accessible and open to all the schools in Europe, we have developed the “VR in School Education & Civic participation” project idea. This 24-months project seeks to expose both teachers and the participating students to a new experience of learning through a Virtual Reality Game. The aim of their participation is to enhance their digital and soft skills while at the same time enrich their knowledge on specific issues that will be explored during different phases of the project. The Virtual Reality Game that will be played by the students concerns a digital simulation of the European Youth Council where all participants will express their opinions and make proposals on the issues of:1.Safe use of Internet and social media2.Bulling at schools and Cyber bullying3.Human rights & Multicultural environment in the EU4.European Citizenship & Rights5.Environmental Behavior6.Sustainable Growth in EU7.Circular Economy in EU and abroadDuring the project, both participating students and teachers will follow physical workshops and MOOC on-line courses and will be given guides and information materials so that they get well- prepared before the real-time Virtual Reality game playing. The aim of the workshops is to familiarize themselves with the innovative and non-traditional learning tools which are being applied in the non-formal learning while the aim of the on-line courses is to prepare themselves on the topics that will discuss during the game. These seven topics have been carefully selected as they are trending in the daily life of the students and will also have an added value on their perspective as European citizens. Apart from the direct effect on the students in terms of enriching their skills, attitudes, knowledge and their European identity, the project seeks to influence the teachers as well by exposing them to new, innovating learning models. The project identifies and covers the need for accelerating the digitalization in the education field through an innovative way by providing an inclusive, costless and open tool for the teachers to use in their classrooms. However, the project does not target only the students and their teachers, but it aims to affect all possible stakeholders in the education and training field to acquire such digitalized methods of learning and include non-formal learning tools on their educational procedures. The consortium of the project consists of 8 partners, among which are Experts in the field on non-formal education and the educational activity of the simulation, Schools of secondary level from 4 countries, an SME expert in the digital tools of VR and the Laboratory on Bioeconomy and Sustainable Growth of the University of Piraeus, as an expert in the topics of sustainable growth, environmental behavior. From the project 100 students and 20 teachers from 4 EU member states will be directly benefited and engaged on the development of the module and/or will participate on the testing phase of the intellectual outputs. As all partners are from different countries and have a variety of professional backgrounds, they will bring to the project their expertise, their knowledge of good practices from their national education system ending up in outputs and materials that can – and hopefully will – be broadly used at European level. The project will develop methodology and material for an affordable and flexible way to acquire new skills, advance careers and deliver quality educational experiences for both teachers and students."