<< Background >>The latest School Education Gateway survey (2021) exposed that the school curriculum should change and include new topics. One of the important topic, that is less frequently taught is financial literacy, which is strongly connected to cryptocurrencies nowadays.Further, Eurydice report (2019) recognized the importance of developing relevant digital competences to learners and teachers, as well as the pedagogical use of technology in teaching, learning and assessment. After making its first notable appearance in 2009, cryptocurrency has shown to be a vital and rapidly growing component in today’s digital economy. Beside multiple investors and traders the market is attracting an increasing number of young individuals, viewing it as an easy way to make money. A large pool of teenagers and young adults want to hop on this train, but a lack of cryptocurrency literacy, as well as financial literacy in general amongst youth, together with their inexperience with investing makes them even more vulnerable to an already high-risk investment. Although it is difficult to determine the exact number, according to the Crypto.com report the number of unique active users of cryptocurrencies (February 2021) is estimated to be more than 100 million. As stated by Statista, more than 9% of European consumers indicate they own a type of cryptocurrency in 2018. Furthermore, the analysis of Blockchain Capital Blog (2019) highlights that cryptocurrencies are a demographic mega-trend led by younger age groups. All this lead us to decide that we should focus on secondary schools as the main target group. The reason for chosen countries in the partnership:Austria: Attitudes towards cryptocurrencies in Austria (ING, 2020) are more positive in the group of 18- to 34-year-olds. This survey results reflect a trend: While older people are concerned about security, and volatility, the young would like to own cryptocurrencies, because it promises them quick earnings and big jumps. In this aspect, the consequence of insufficient financial literacy leads to increased risk in the younger target groups. Spain: The use of cryptocurrencies in Spain is growing According to survey (Statista, 2019) the share of people owning cryptocurrency (10 %) puts Spain among the top countries in the EU. The use has become a hot topic in the country, especially among young people who want a quick way to make money. The UNI Murcia, is a valuable project partner, because of their expertise in the content, but they will benefit from the project with getting the knowledge on innovative teaching methods that can be used also at UNI. Slovenia is taking the global lead as the country with the highest number of physical locations accepting cryptocurrencies and the nation where individuals an use their crypto wallets in daily life. Young people in Slovenia are increasingly opting to invest in virtual currencies.Netherland is a country, where the interest in owning cryptocurrencies is high in comparison with other countries (10 % of population used crypto in 2020). Also in Netherland the majority of crypto investors are young poople.Universities (FHJ, Breda Murcia) need to increase the knowledge on new innovative teaching methods. Secondary schools included in the project need to get the knowledge on innovative teaching tools; further they need to increase the financial and crypto literacy skills. Further, there is a need to include them in the project because their inputs are important in developing PR as being representative of the primary target groups and consequently being familiar about the needs and capabilities of secondary schools. PLATFORM need to get the experience in being included in EU project; further they need to increase the financial and crypto literacy skills.CRYPTOPOLIS is in line with European Skills Agenda,2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (goal 4), as well as with Supporting key competence development:Learning approaches and environments in schools.<< Objectives >>CRYPTOPOLIS focuses on the financial management knowledge of teachers and the emerging field of risk management and risk analysis of cryptocurrencies. In line with a goal of increased student motivation, teacher readiness, and teachers’ professional development this will be done with development of several innovative teaching tools which will be included in Online Academy for Financial and Crypto Literacy. In this way, teachers will be able to develop their career, but also the students to get to know about the possible risks of modern digital financial tools. The main objective of CRYPTOPOLIS project is to increase the capacity and readiness of secondary schools to manage an effective shift towards digital education in the field of crypto and financial literacy. The project will develop the purposeful use of digital technologies in financial and crypto education for teaching, learning, assessment and engagement in the form of Online Academy for Financial and Crypto Literacy. Besides, CRYPTOPOLIS aims to improve the financial management knowledge of teachers, by taking into consideration that development in this area has occurred through the development and use of blockchain technology and related cryptocurrencies. With the main objective also the following objectives will be reached: - To support teachers in delivering competence-based teaching (Online Academy will be developed in a competence-based teaching method and it will be based on student´s demonstration of desired learning outcomes as central to the learning process; in this sense students will not be able to play a learning simulation games if they did not understand the training materials developed etc.) - To make teaching careers more attractive and diverse (Online Academy, learning simulation game and virtual trainings are innovative products that will not just make the teaching process more attractive, but will also enable teachers to include some teaching tools in other courses they teach and will get the knowledge on how teaching process can be different, more attractive and interesting) - To develop innovative teaching and assessment methods (within the PR 2 the innovative teaching methodology toolbox will be created. It will include detailed descriptions and examples on how different innovative teaching tools/methods can be used. Further, in PR 3 innovative teaching tools/methods will be included within Online Academy) - To include new topics in the school curriculum (based on PR 1 topics in the field of financial and crypto literacy that will be further developed and included in Online Academy will be defined; teachers will though get new important and interesting knowledge on topics that can be included in their regular courses; with the implementation of trainings in PR 4 teachers will develop financial and crypto literacy skills and will be able to transfer the knowledge gained to their studetnts)The main result of the project will be development of Online Academy for Financial and Crypto Literacy including financial market simulation games together with teacher virtual training for increasing financial and crypto literacy in secondary schools. On the Online Academy topics related to investment decisions in line with personal risk attitude, assessing risk and risk management, functionality of crypto currencies and other crypto assets, secure handling and secure storage of crypto assets, fraud and scam protection in digital or online investments, market functionalities and financial behavior of market participants. A financial market simulation game that will also be developed will give teachers and students a playful way in which they will learn about risk, return, bubbles, price drops and how crypto assets work in comparison to traditional assets. With virtual teacher training teachers will be well trained to be able to act as multipliers and will forward their newly gained skills to their pupils.<< Implementation >>CRYPTOPOLIS is built on four pillars with the following activities: Pillar 1: Gather information The goal of Pillar 1 is to conduct comprehensive research on status quo. The following activities will be implemented: -Desk Research – to gather detailed information and identification of good practice examples on existing innovative teaching tools used in the secondary schools and on digital tools used in the secondary schools to create a basis for the development of the following activities and to find country-specific data related to financial and crypto literacy. -Focus groups – implementing one focus group per country with school teachers and experts of innovative teachers to support the process of the identification of good practices and to define their needs -Online survey - builds on the inputs received during the focus groups including the needs and competence assessment. -Common report preparationPillar 2: Definition of the master concept and strategy The aim of pillar 2 is to use the information gained for a comprehensive and holistic strategy and to define the structure, the learning objectives but also already the possible tools, namely the innovative teaching methods. The following activities will be implemented: - Development of the skill card, strategy design and curriculum: According to the research done in the preparation phase, the following topics could be included: functionality of crypto currencies and other crypto assets, secure handling and secure storage of crypto assets, fraud and scam protection in digital or online investments, investment decisions in line with personal risk attitude, assessing risk and risk management, understanding market functionalities and financial behaviour of market participants - Development of an innovative teaching methodology toolbox in order to assure that topics regarding financial and crypto literacy could be emerged in different cross sectorial education curricula Pillar 3: Implementation As part of the Pillar 3 activities, the core of the project will be implemented. The following activities will be implemented: -Design and implementation of a web based online academy which can be used by teachers and their students -Creation of all course content (texts, presentations, tasks, videos, etc.) and teacher packages, -Development of the Financial Market Simulation game, a freely available cross platform app. Pillar 4: Sustainable dissemination A sustainable use of the project results requires a sustainable and targeted dissemination. We will achieve this through the activities of pillar 4: -Video guides for teachers in English which will be translated into national languages -Evaluation of the online academy, teaching materials and the market simulation game. -Implementation of the virtual teacher training within an online learning management system-Pilot Phase: Together with one pedagogical university in each partner country, the content, the Online Academy and the game will be tested and evaluated with at least 10 teachers including their students (in practical lessons). In each Secondary school which is partner within the project, the Online Academy and the game will be pracitically tested as well within classes with at least 25 students each, or 100 students in total. - Quality assurance report -Cryptopolis transferability handbook development - Implemenation of the virtual teacher trainings: the partner will make sure that at least 50 teachers in each country will do the training and then serve as multipliers (200 in total)-Round tables with experts, teachers, parents' associations, school authorities and pedagogical universities to inform and discuss about the project results.<< Results >>The following main results will be finalized during the CRYPTOPOLIS: - Catalogue on Good Practice in Innovative Teaching Methods and Training Needs in the Field of Financial and Crypto Literacy. Focuses on the identification and collection of good practices from Europe about existing cases and good practices on innovative teaching methods with a special focus on successful teaching methods in the recent months. The main methods used are desk research, focus groups, and an online survey. The catalogue will be compiled in English. - Skill Card creation and innovative teaching methodology toolbox creation Which includes a detailed description of all learning objectives and defines how these objectives and through which activities the needed competences can be acquired by the students during the course will be developed. According to the research done in the preparation of the project proposal, the following topics could be included: functionality of crypto currencies and other crypto assets, secure handling and secure storage of crypto assets, fraud and scam protection in digital or online investments, investment decisions in line with personal risk attitude, assessing risk and risk management, understanding market functionalities and financial behaviour of market participants. Once the skills are defined, the teaching methods needs to be decided to define the strategy design of the course contents. The good practice methods researched in PR1 will be used to develop the appropriate innovative teaching methods. - Online Academy for Financial and Crypto Literacy It will be an interactive virtual classroom for teachers, that will include teachers´ package material for teaching about financial and crypto topics in secondary schools. It will be built on modern technology with new learning environments including inquiry-based as well as collaborative and technology-enhanced learning approaches. The learning environments will be hybrid entities, in which multiple tools and technologies (e.g. MTSD, social media, games) for individual access, communication, sharing, and joint knowledge construction will be used. Further, also simulation games will developed to improve the understanding of the functioning of asset markets and in particular crypto markets in a playful way. With the simulation game participants will learn about risk, return, bubbles, price drops and how crypto assets work in comparison to traditional assets. The simulations can then be used together either in class or over a longer period of time (e.g.: semester), both in the classroom and as part of distance learning. We thus enable flexible use, both in the classroom and in distance learning, and at the same time we promote cross-border exchange between schools, students and teachers. - Virtual Teacher Training and Transferability handbook First part of this PR will include CRYPTOPOLIS video guides for the virtual teacher training. It will include all instructions in video format how to use training materials developed in previous PR. For quality assurance of the project results a pilot phase to test the online academy with virtual training will be implemented. The results of this pilot phase and the evaluation results will be used to improve the quality of all project outcomes. In the second part, the CRYPTOPOLIS Transferability Handbook that will provide all lessons learnt and the applicability of the Online Academy will be created. Further, it will also give instructions how to multiply and repeat the trainings including the usage of the Online Academy in other countries and schools. In this way the generated products of the project can easily be transferred to other countries in an easy and effective way. All CRYPTOPOLIS products created follow the open access rules of the EACEA to create change and improvement in the EU wide and international in terms of financial and crypto literacy for secondary school teachers and students.