The kick-off meeting of the NewsArcade@Classroom project was held on January 22–23, 2025, in Nicosia, Cyprus. The meeting was hosted by DIAS Publishing Public, the project coordinator, and marked the beginning of a 24-month initiative funded by the Creative Europe – MEDIA programme.
Building on the success of the original NewsArcade project, which introduced a gamified approach to enhance media literacy among young adults, NewsArcade Classroom aims to bring this innovation into the formal education sector. The new project is designed to adapt and refine both the game-based format and the digital authoring tools for effective use within classroom settings. By focusing on educators and students between 18-25 years old, the project seeks to foster critical engagement with news media through interactive and pedagogically grounded gameplay.
The kick-off meeting in Cyprus brought together representatives from all partner institutions from Cyprus, Germany, Denmark, France and Portugal to initiate collaborative planning and to define the early phases of project implementation. Discussions focused on establishing a shared understanding of the project’s scope, refining coordination and management procedures, and outlining the stages of development. Participants addressed the initial activities and deliverables, ensuring that all partners are aligned in their roles and responsibilities. The meeting also provided a foundation for sustained collaboration by clarifying how the consortium will jointly approach the creation of educational materials, digital tools, and future dissemination efforts.
The NewsArcade Classroom consortium brings together a strong network of institutions with expertise in media education, educational technology, and interactive content development. The project is coordinated by DIAS Publishing Public in Cyprus and includes the following partners: PORTAPLAY APS from Denmark, IN2 DIGITAL INNOVATIONS GMBH from Germany, Association Pour l’Éducation aux Médias from France, International People’s College from Denmark, and University of Lusófona, Porto from Portugal.
Together, these organizations will work toward equipping teachers across Europe with innovative resources to enhance students’ media literacy and critical thinking through playful, meaningful engagement with news content.
Further updates on the project’s progress, resources, and pilot activities will be shared through our website and social media pages as implementation advances.
