Cybersec EduCheck

The project aimed to address the growing needs and significant competency gaps among educators and secondary school students in the broad area of cybersecurity. The goal was to propose solutions, ...

The project aimed to address the growing needs and significant competency gaps among educators and secondary school students in the broad area of cybersecurity. The goal was to propose solutions, good practices, and educational materials that would help raise the level of security and digital skills in educational institutions. These materials were designed to be universal enough to also meet the educational needs of adult learners. Based on research conducted in 10 schools across Poland and the Czech Republic, key cybersecurity challenges were identified at the organizational, educational, and pastoral levels. It was noted that teaching in this area should emphasize critical and creative thinking as essential social competences for ensuring the digital safety and resilience of young people. At the organizational level, there was a need to implement systemic information security management and promote it as good practice in schools and other VET sector institutions. The project also focused on promoting safe and responsible behavior in cyberspace and counteracting hate speech and disinformation.

1. Organization of the kick-off meeting (04.03.2024) and project launch. 2. Recruitment of secondary schools to participate in the project (March 2024) – 5 schools from Poland, 5 schools from the Czech Republic. 3. Research among teaching staff and students (April–May 2024) – data collection on knowledge levels and cybersecurity needs. 4. Development of 6 user profiles/personas for the project and a report from Activity 1 (May 2024). 5.Webinar for teachers featuring a presentation of the report from Activity 1 and a lecture on disinformation (21.05.2024). 6. Webinars for teachers – introduction to the developed educational materials (15.11.2024 and 19.11.2024). 7. Study visit in Wrocław for 18 participants from Poland and the Czech Republic: workshops, analysis of educational materials, and interactive hybrid-format discussion (22.11.2024). 8. Promotion of project results – activities in social media (LI, FB, Instagram), press articles (Gazeta Wyborcza, Nowiny Lokalne, Wrocław.pl bulletin, Doba.pl, and Głos Gminy Mogilany), articles on the EPALE platform. 9. Final dissemination conference in Wrocław (30.01.2024) – summary event for 40 participants from Poland and abroad representing education, technology, NGOs, and public institut

The project engaged 10 schools across Poland and the Czech Republic. It assessed the knowledge and needs of students and teachers regarding cybersecurity. Based on interviews and surveys, six personas representing the project's target groups were developed. A Report from Activity 1 was produced, and a webinar featuring a lecture on disinformation was organized. A handbook for school principals was created, providing guidelines and document templates for implementing information security management practices. 5 lesson scenarios and materials were developed (on phishing, secure passwords, cybersecurity incidents, disinformation, and cyberbullying) in Polish, English, and Czech, promoting critical and creative thinking. Collaboration was established with external experts (Irina Tkeshelashvili, Martyna Wilk), companies LogicalTrust, SDZ Legal, Antologiq, and the Wrocław Center for Social Development (owned by the Municipality of Wrocław). Relationships with schools were strengthened through a peer-learning model, where Cybersecurity students from Coventry University Wrocław conducted classes for pupils based on the developed educational materials. The project’s success enables further collaboration between participating organizations.