With strong participation, the informational webinar organized by the Film Education and Heritage Unit of the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Centre took place on 5 February 2026, focusing on the 6th International Student Competition for Educational Tabletop and Digital Games “Learning… through Play”.
The webinar was attended by members of the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Centre’s Film Education and Heritage Unit, distinguished members of the Jury—comprising representatives from academia, the educational community, and the gaming sector—as well as educators from schools in Greece and abroad.
The competition, addressed to primary and secondary schools in Greece, the Greek diaspora, and Cyprus, has, as of the 2025–2026 school year, officially been placed under the auspices of the Ministry of Education. It aims to stimulate the learning process in the classroom through a playful approach, offering students the opportunity to engage with game design in an enjoyable environment beyond the traditional school setting. Through the competition, students communicate, develop emotionally, and collaborate—not with the sole aim of winning or distinction, but of building a school community and leaving a lasting legacy, as the game will remain within the school unit for future use and inspiration. It is a productive educational process culminating in a collective outcome.
During the webinar, the competition was highlighted as an innovative educational tool for digital literacy and creative learning. The terms and conditions for participation in the 6th Competition were presented, along with this year’s new thematic focus, “Misinformation & Fake News”, supported by practical examples. Educators also raised questions regarding the design and implementation process.
Starting this school year (2025–2026), the competition will revolve around a central theme. This year’s focus on misinformation and fake news, approached through gamification, generated strong interest among educators. In today’s environment of overwhelming information flows, often lacking critical analysis, addressing misinformation and promoting digital literacy is essential. Students are encouraged to reflect on whether they have encountered fake news in the media they consume and to develop the skills needed to assess information critically, through filtering processes, analysis, and cross-checking multiple sources.
Additionally, discussion addressed the limited and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence tools within the competition, ensuring that such tools do not replace original creative thinking but serve only as facilitators, alongside references to best practices. It was emphasized that the final outcome must be produced by the students themselves, reflecting their own creative approach shaped through collaboration, communication of distinct roles, and constructive exchange of ideas.
The objective is to create a tabletop, augmented, or fully digital game that presents an original concept and goes beyond simple knowledge-based questions or imitation of existing commercial games. A well-structured game with clear rules, a defined objective, and a narrative, as well as a strategic framework that fosters critical thinking, combined with a clear presentation of the rules and a gameplay video (particularly for digital games), will support the evaluation process and highlight the depth of design and implementation achieved by the students.
NEW! Application deadline extended to: 31 March 2026. Good luck!
Watch the full webinar on the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Centre’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/uLi1lW82pbU
Download the call for applications for the 6th Competition here (in Greek)
Information: educate@ekkomed.gr