The event was held on 16 – 17 June 2025 at the Conference Hall of the Hellenic Open University at its headquarters in Patras (Building D, 18 Aristotelous str., Perivola, Patras, Greece) and was co-organised by the DAISSy-HOU, the Quality Supervisor of Education PDE of Achaia & Educational Advisor PE70 of Achaia.

Undoubtedly, it was a massive event, given the overwhelming number of participants; more than five hundred (500) people (educators, students, parents) attended the event, celebrating the significance of Inclusive STEAM Education. Most of the participating educators were “graduates” of the educational programme about Inclusive STEAM Education, implemented within the framework of the “Special Education STEAM Academy – SpicE”, a European project coordinated by DAISSy-HOU, and they had the opportunity to present, together with their students, the STEAM activities that they implemented throughout the school year.

The event was a testimony to the transformative impact of the SpicE project and the Inclusive STEAM Education. Specifically, the educators presented the STEAM practices they developed and implemented, under a continuous support provided by DAISSy-HOU throughout their efforts, so as to foster inclusiveness and learning in their classrooms, whereas the children’s enthusiasm about the STEAM projects was clearly evident, since the common message that emerged from all of them was that they wish to “STEAM” again during the next school year!

Furthermore, numerous creations of the children were exhibited at the foyer of the conference hall, highlighting the creative outcome and the active engagement of the children in the STEAM activities.

The educational infodays were supported by the “The STE(A)M Education European Roadmap – SEER” and “Special Education STEAM Academy – SpicE” European projects, implemented by DAISSy-HOU within the framework of developing a roadmap that will contribute to the implementation of integrated inclusive STEAM education in Europe.

For more information about these projects of DAISSy-HOU:

• https://daissy.eu/projects/seer/
•  https://spiceacademy.eu/

More precisely, SpicE supports the inclusion of students with mild learning difficulties in STEAM education. Its core objective is to strengthen the competences of primary school teachers in delivering inclusive STEAM learning experiences. By equipping pre-service and in-service educators with the right tools and methodologies, SpicE aims to create classrooms that are inclusive, innovative, accessible, and equitable.

The conference offered a dynamic agenda, including plenary sessions by experts, discussion panels, and presentations of real-life use cases by in-service educators. Discussions covered a wide range of topics—from inclusive educational Robotics and AI tools, to digital learning environments, art-based inclusion practices, and teacher training strategies.

The highlights of the conference include:

• The presentations of the STEAMComp InclEdu Competences Framework, the methodologies for STEAM teacher training from an inclusive perspective, and the SpicE Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), all of which support the training of educators and provide structured guidance for developing inclusive teaching competences in STEAM education.
• The decision to found the Inclusive STEAM Alliance, presenting the evolution of the SpicE Community of Practice.
• Showcases of good practices in Inclusive STEAM Education from educators and researchers from (in alphabetical order) Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, India, Italy, Nigeria, Portugal, Spain and Türkiye, and underlining how inclusive pedagogy can be embedded into current curricula.
• Dedicated synergy sessions with other innovative European projects and networks working for the promotion of Inclusive Education and STEM/STEAM Educations, such as the SEER, ICSE Academy, SENSEI, STEAME Academy, EQUI-T, STEAMbrace, and Road-STEAMer European projects.

A common message emerged during the conference, i.e.  Inclusion and STEAM must be at the heart of innovation in education. By empowering educators and integrating inclusive strategies into STEAM, the SpicE project contributes to build learning environments favoring all students to thrive, regardless of their learning needs.

More information about the SpicE project of DAISSy-HOU :

• Websites: https://daissy.eu/projects/spice/,   http://eu
• Facebook: @SpicEAcademyEU
• Χ (Twitter):  @SpicEAcademyEU

This is the final conference of the European project «Special Education STEAM Academy (SpicE)», which was implemented under the coordination of the Hellenic Open University and the Scientific Supervision of Achilles Kameas, Professor of School of Science and Technology, HOU and Director of DAISSy Research Group. SpicE is an important European project, combining STEAM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) with Inclusive Education, and facilitates open dialogue to promote the transformation of the Educational Framework to embrace STEAM Education for children with mild learning disabilities.

The international conference is taking place in person and online on 30 & 31 May 2025 at the Conference Hall of the Hellenic Open University (Building D, Aristotelous 18 str., Perivola, Patras), with parallel broadcasting (live-streaming) through YouTube using the following links:

• Attendance link for Friday 30 May 2025: https://youtube.com/live/XAmRcEWm-04?feature=share
• Attendance link for Saturday 31 May 2025: https://youtube.com/live/hGXU_37JM7E?feature=share

Undoubtedly, the conference will foster open dialogue among the international partners of SpicE project, the scientific and educational community and relevant interested stakeholders, in the light of modern approaches for Inclusive STEAM Education.

The conference is addressed to teachers and educators of all levels who are interested in implementing inclusive STEAM education in their classrooms, as well as to scientists, researchers, students, education policy makers, and the general public.

• Participation in the conference is free.
• The conference program is available [here].
• The conference is held in English, except from the last session of the second day which is held in Greek.
• Pre-registration is desirable (not mandatory) through the following pre-registration form.
• Requirements to receive Participation Certificates are to attend both days of the conference and sign the registration form (for both in person and online participation).

SpicE is a 3-year project, co-funded by the European Union, in the context of Erasmus+ Programme. It is implemented by a consortium of ten (10) partners from five (5) European countries (Greece, Spain, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Belgium), coordinated by DAISSy–HOU.

More information about the SpicE project and other activities of DAISSy-HOU:

• Websites: https://daissy.eu/, http://eu
• Facebook: @DAISSyResearchGroup, @SpicEAcademyEU
• Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/daissyresearchgroup/
• Χ (Twitter):  @SpicEAcademyEU
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spiceacademyeu
• Instagram: @daissy_researchgroup
• Email:  info@daissy.eap.gr

The Congress emphasized the promotion of diversity and inclusion in STEAM fields, with a special focus on enhancing female participation and supporting underrepresented groups. Attendees contributed to significant discussions and initiatives aimed at transforming STEAM education into a more inclusive and impactful discipline.

The DAISSy Research Group presented two posters, about project SpicE and project The SEER. HOU Professor Achilles Kameas, Director of DAISSy Research Group, was invited to present a comprehensive approach to STEAM educators’ competence development, and to participate in a panel discussion on the topic of gender equality in STEAM education and careers. Prof. Kameas presented the activities of DAISSy research group in projects SpicE and The SEER, including the STEAM educators/ competence frameworks, the MOOCs and training courses and the draft roadmap towards a European STEAM education policy.

Achilles emphasized the importance of increasing the participation of women in STEAM education, by raising awareness, changing mindsets, offering incentives and taking all appropriate measures. Moreover, he argued that achieving the highest possible degree of inclusion in STEAM education and careers is crucial for the future and all necessary resources must be allocated for achieving it the soonest possible.

In addition to several very interesting presentations and panels on topics related to gender equality and STEAM education, the Congress included a number of workshops, in which the participants had the opportunity to use technology and carry out STEAM education activities. Achilles, together with colleagues, had a lot of fun creating flashing bookmarks and sparkling-water-based rockets!

For more information regarding the projects and activities of DAISSy-HOU:

• Website : https://daissy.eu/
• Facebook : @DAISSyResearchGroup
• Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/daissyresearchgroup/
• Instagram : @daissy_researchgroup
• Email : info@daissy.eap.gr

The theme of the 17^th AD Summit 2024 was “Engaged Digital Citizenship: Connections for an informed and conscious society”. The programme included keynote speeches, panels, workshops and informative sessions with over 400 in person participants representing 100+ organisations from 30+ countries, and an even larger number of online participants through live broadcasts. The novelty of this year’s AD Summit was the Digital Village, an open space that hosted exhibitors and makers that was organized in 4 main quarters, which reflected the 4 thematic streams of the Summit, each focusing on a distinct aspect of engaged digital citizenship:

• Fostering a Digital Society,
• Educating on Media Literacy, Data, and AI,
• European Digital Rights, Online Safety, and Wellbeing: Guiding Policy Principles, and
• Empowering Digital Social Innovation.

HOU Professor Achilles Kameas, Director of DAISSy research group chaired the Summit organizing committee and, with the assistance of Ms Phoebe Kamea, was responsible for the conception, planning and implementation of the Digital Village. Together with a representative of the Municipality of Madrid, he inaugurated the Digital Village, and he was awarded the honor to be its first Mayor!

HOU-DAISSy “inhabited” the Digital Village with two stands, in two different “neighborhoods”: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Empowering Digital Social Innovation. Dr. Theodor Panagiotakopoulos, Mrs Eleni Georgakakou and Mrs Ioanna Marini, members of DAISSy, presented the numerous relevant projects and their results that DAISSy has implemented throughout the years.

Moreover, DAISSy participated at the sessions:

• Panel discussion with experts: “ALL DIGITAL Academy Panel – Integrating emerging technologies in education”, on which Prof. Achilles Kameas, presented the MOOC on IoT that DAISSy members developed for the project “ADA – All Digital Academy” and discussed the future of Education in the era of AI,
• Workshop “The ALL DIGITAL Academy: AI, IoT and GenAIEdu courses”, during which Dr. Theodor Panagiotakopoulos, Senior Project Manager and Researcher of HOU-DAISSy, presented the pilot delivery details and results of the All Digital Academy MOOC on Internet of Things.
• Three lightning talks on which,
• Achilles Kameas gave two presentations on “Fostering social innovation through inclusive entrepreneurship” and “Inclusive STEAM educator competency framework”, in which he presented some of the results of projects Reinser and SpicE, and
• Eleni Georgakakou, Senior Project Manager and Researcher of HOU-DAISSy, gave a presentation on “Countering online hate speech with an online game”, in which she presented the results of project LEAD Online and further discussed on the use of online games as educational tools.

Overall, the participation of DAISSy-HOU in the 17th ALL DIGITAL Summit was extremely successful. Not only the DAISSy group, but also HOU were promoted to all participants and stakeholders, especially after the great success of the Digital Village. Moreover, the members of HOU-DAISSy had the opportunity to get to know fellow AD members and establish collaborations. At the end of the event, in recognition of the excellent collaboration in organizing the Summit, Prof. Achilles Kameas presented an honorary gift to Víctor Hugo Martínez Buixeda, General Director of Fundación Esplai, a large Spanish network of third sector organizations.

The Summit sessions were attended by European Commission and Council of Europe representatives, policy makers, stakeholders in digital education, trainers, educators, representatives of civil society, and market representatives, who were actively involved and contributed experience, ideas, tools and policies. Its main findings and outcomes are summarized in the white paper Goals and recommendations for Engaged Digital Citizenship, which will be presented to the members of the ALL DIGITAL network, EC officers and other stakeholders in a special event that will take place in Brussels on December 9^th.

For more information on the 17^th ALL DIGITAL Summit 2024, as well as the recorded speeches, you can visit: https://all-digital.org/all-digital-summit-2024/.

For more information regarding the projects and actions of DAISSy:

• Website : https://daissy.eu/
• Facebook : @DAISSyResearchGroup
• Linkedin  : https://www.linkedin.com/in/daissyresearchgroup/
• X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/daissy_research
• Instagram : @daissy_researchgroup

The Educational Programme was designed and will be delivered in the context of the “Special Education STEAM Academy (SpicE)” European project, coordinated by DAISSy-HOU under the Scientific Supervision of Achilles Kameas, Dean of School of Science and Technology, HOU.

Within the first stage of the programme, a MOOC entitled «STEAM education for all learners: Incorporating STEAM and Inclusive education practices in everyday teaching» will be offered by SpicE. The educational content of the MOOC has been exclusively developed by the project consortium and was founded on the innovative educators’ competences framework for inclusive STEAM education and the related professional profiles.

More specifically, SpicE MOOC:

• Has a duration of fifty (50) hours / five (5) weeks, is offered through distance asynchronous education and covers the common competences needed for the application of Inclusive STEAM Education to students with mild disabilities.
• Starts on 9^th  September 2024 and is offered through the Lifelong Learning Center of the HOU.
•  Is available in English, with all educational material also translated in Spanish, Bulgarian, and Greek.

Participation in SpicE MOOC is free and the pre-registration form is available [here].

Detailed information about the content of the SpicE MOOC is presented at: https://spiceacademy.eu/spice-platform/

All trainees who will successfully complete the SpicE MOOC will receive 2 ECTS and a Certificate of successful completion from the project and from the Lifelong Learning Center of HOU, according to European and national standards and the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System.

SpicE educational programme is modular, and the MOOC can be complemented with:

• The blended learning programme, of fifteen (15) hours duration, which will deepen the trainees’ competences for Inclusive STEAM education.
• The teacher mobility scheme, where selected educators will travel abroad to participate in practical applications of Inclusive STEAM education.

_ SpicE is a three-year project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme (Teacher Academies) and implemented by a consortium of ten (10) partners from five (5) European countries (Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Bulgaria, Belgium), with the DAISSy Research Group of the HOU being the Coordinator.

So far, SpicE is the only project to combine STEAM Education with Inclusive Education.

For more information about the project SpicE and other activities of the DAISSy-HOU:

• Websites: https://daissy.eu/,  https://spiceacademy.eu/el/
• Facebook: @DAISSyResearchGroup,  https://www.facebook.com/SpicEAcademyEU
• Twitter: @daissy_research, https://twitter.com/SpicEacademyEU
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daissyresearchgroup/ & https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9353997/
• Instagram: @daissy_researchgroup
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spiceacademyeu
• Email: info@daissy.eap.gr

The International Academy of Technology, Education and Development (IATED) has been organizing INTED on an annual basis for eighteen (18) years in a row. INTED is now recognized as an important forum that brings together educators, policy makers and other stakeholders who use or are interested in using technology in educational practice, with an emphasis on digital technologies. Hence the presence of DAISSy researchers in the Conference significantly increased the impact of research conducted by the DAISSy Research Group. 

DAISSy-HOU was actively involved in the INTED 2024 Conference by contributing six (6) scientific papers, a result of the high-quality work and international collaborations of the Group. The papers showcased the results of European research projects regarding the use of innovative methodologies and tools in education during the digital era that have been developed by DAISSy under the scientific coordination of Prof. Achilles Kameas.

The papers presented are:

• Design and Evaluation of a MOOC on the Internet of Things to upskill Adult Educators, authored by the HOU team, Fotis Lazarinis, Theodor Panagiotakopoulos and Achilles Kameas, showcasing the results of project ADA, and presented by A. Kameas.
• A Model for assessing the effective Integration of Technology into Educational Practice from a Pedagogical perspective, authored by the HOU team, Panagiota Polymeropoulou, Kostas Potsis and Achilles Kameas, showcasing the results of project UpDATE and presented by A. Kameas.
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the business management education, training and professions: A study about the state-of-the art in Greece, authored by the HOU team, Panagiota Polymeropoulou, Kostas Mantzos, Eleni Georgakakou and Achilles Kameas, showcasing the results of project Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the business management education, training and professions (EDIFY-EDU) and presented by E. Georgakakou.
• Tools for enhancing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education Institutions: Supporting the gender & LGBT+ inclusion in tertiary education, authored by the HOU team, Kostas Mantzos, Eleni Georgakakou and Achilles Kameas, showcasing the results of project XENIA: HEI Inclusiveness Index and presented by E. Georgakakou.
• Bridging STEAM and Inclusive education in the SpicE project, authored by the HOU team, Natalia Spyropoulou, Georgia Sakellaropoulou and Achilles Kameas, showcasing the results of SPICE project and presented by N. Spyropoulou
• A methodology for developing training and mentoring programs: empowering instructional designers to create courses aligned with the Digcomp framework, authored by the HOU team, Natalia Spyropoulou, Achilles Kameas, Rozalia Kalanzi, Gerasimos Vonitsanos, showcasing the results of DigCompHub project and presented by N. Spyropoulou.

The DAISSy-HOU was represented at the INTED24 Conference by Prof. Achilles Kameas, Director of DAISSy, Ms. Natalia Spyropoulou, Senior Project Manager and Researcher, and Ms. Eleni Georgakakou, Senior Project Manager and Head Researcher on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion of DAISSy, who attended a number of sessions and elaborated on peer learning and networking activities. Furthermore, Ms. Georgakakou had been invited and chaired the session on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

For more information on the projects and other activities of DAISSy-HOU:

• Website   : https://daissy.eu/
• Facebook : @DAISSyResearchGroup
• Linkedin   : https://www.linkedin.com/in/daissyresearchgroup/
• Twitter     : @daissy_research
• Instagram: @daissy_researchgroup
• Email        : info@daissy.eap.gr

In order to obtain the project’s goals a Community of Practice (CoP) has been developed, which is activated through a dynamic electronic platform and focuses on Special Education, Inclusive Education, STEAM Education, and Advanced Teacher Education.

In this context, the DAISSy Research Group of the HOU invites:

• Prospective educators and general or special education related students
• Αctive educators and trainers in general/special education at all levels and types of education
• Directors or heads of educational organizations at all levels and types of education
• Educational policy makers
• Researchers in the field of special/ inclusive education, STEAM education or teachers’ education

to register and participate in the SpicE Community of Practice.

Participation in the project’s platform is free, and every interested individual benefits from international networking with members of the SpicE community, utilizing educational opportunities and teaching materials. Additionally, there is the opportunity to engage in discussions through forums, focusing on topics related to STEAM and special/inclusive education, while also having access to information about relevant events and news.

• Participation as a member in the SpicE Community of Practice is accomplished by registering at: https://spiceacademy.eu/el/community-of-practice/.
• There is the possibility of resolving questions by sending a message to: spiceacademyeu@gmail.com  or/and info@daissy.eap.gr

For more information about the SpicE project as well as other activities of DAISSy–HOU:

• Website: https://daissy.eu/, https://spiceacademy.eu/el/
• Facebook: @DAISSyResearchGroup, @ SpicEAcademyEU
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daissyresearchgroup/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/daissy_research,
• Instagram: @daissy_researchgroup
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spiceacademyeu

The theme of the 16^th AD Summit 2023 was “Skills for the Digital Future”. The programme included keynote speeches, panels, workshops, and informative sessions with over 200 in person participants, and an even larger number of online participants through live online broadcasts. Policy makers, stakeholders in digital education, trainers, educators, representatives of civil society, and market representatives were actively involved in the sessions attended by the DAISSy Research Group. 

Specifically, DAISSy participated at the sessions:

• Educational workshop for the European project “CrAL: Creative Audiovisual Lab for the Promotion of Critical Thinking and Media Literacy”, during which Ms. Eleni Georgakakou, Senior Project Manager of HOU’s team, presented the educational platform developed by DAISSy which operates on its own server for online courses and platforms.
• Lightning talks, on which Ms. Natalia Spyropoulou, Project Manager of HOU’s team and head researcher, presented the significant results of the European projects “Spice: Special Education STEAM Academy” and “The SEER: STEAM Education European Roadmap”. DAISSy is the Coordinator of the first project, while it is responsible for conducting a pan-European survey on STEAM education in the second one.
• World Café, on which Dr. Achilles Kameas, Professor at HOU, moderated the table on “Digital Social Innovation” with the aim of generating new ideas.

Additionally, throughout the event, DAISSy was present at the “Marketplace,” where it actively promoted its work.

For more information about the 16^th ALL DIGITAL Summit 2023, as well as the recorded speeches, you can visit: https://all-digital.org/all-digital-summit-2023/

More precisely, the SpicE project aims at gathering representatives of Universities, ministries and institutions from Greece, Spain, Cyprus and Bulgaria in an open dialogue to strengthen the Education Framework for STEAM in Special Education for students with mild disabilities in Primary Education. This TPM marked a pivotal milestone of the SpicE project, in an ongoing initiative dedicated to revolutionizing STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education, making it more inclusive and accessible to all.

Namely, the 3rd TPM was a resounding success, serving as a platform for esteemed partners to receive comprehensive updates on the project’s current status and the significant milestones achieved, so far. These milestones stand as a testament to the project’s unwavering commitment to elevating the quality of education for all. The meeting also underscored the importance of fostering a robust Community of Practice—a dynamic environment that encourages collaboration among educators and stakeholders, all united in their collective endeavor to champion inclusive education.

A core objective of the SpicE project, extensively discussed during this gathering, was the professional development of STEAM Special educators. The spotlight shone brightly on Work Package 3 (WP3), where discussions delved into the realms of training curriculum, interactive workshops, training mobilities, and blended training—all integral components in the drive for inclusive education.

Embracing the transformative potential of technology in modern education, the 3^rd TPM placed significant emphasis on the development of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and educational materials for Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs). The integration of technology into the education landscape was a central theme, reflecting its critical role in shaping the future of learning.

As the 3rd TPM unfolded, it proved to be a pivotal moment—a convergence of minds, ideas, and aspirations. Together, the participants charted the course of STEAM education, ensuring that no student is left behind. The DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU) is the project Coordinator, joined the TPM and was represented in person by Achilles Kameas, Professor of HOU, Director of DAISSy, SpicE Project Coordinator and Natalia Spyropoulou, Project Manager and Researcher of DAISSy as well as by Chara Tapinou, Researcher of DAISSy who joined it online. They moderated the meeting and engaged in the entire sessions, fostering productive discussions and collaboration. More precisely, Prof Kameas provided insights into the project milestones whereas, Ms Spyropoulou presented the project overview and topics related to the project management. Furthermore, she and Ms Tapinou  analyzed the methodology to be used for the digital development of the content of the SpicE training program.

The 3^rd TPM of the SpicE project was a success, encouraging team spirit, vivid exchange and agreement on next project steps.

SpicE is a three-year project, co-funded by the European Union, under the Erasmus+ Programme. It is implemented by a consortium of 11 (eleven)  partners from four (4) EU member-states (Greece, Spain, Cyprus and Bulgaria) with the DAISSy-HOU being the Coordinator, actively involved in all project deliverables and having the responsibility for the project management, the development of the STEAM competence framework, the design of the methodology of the training material, the development of the evaluation framework, as well as all related project activities.

For more information on the SpicE project and other activities of DAISSy:

• Website : https://daissy.eu/ https://spiceacademy.eu/
• Facebook : @DAISSyResearchGroup @spiceacademy
• Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/daissyresearchgroup/
• Twitter : @daissy_research
• Instagram: @daissy_researchgroup
• Email : info@daissy.eap.gr