The consortium applied for the M2.0 project to tackle critical needs within the European education system amidst evolving societal and technological landscapes. Teachers' authority diminishes in the face of digitalization. New technologies entered classrooms regardless of teachers' readiness or acceptance, and information—alongside misinformation—became accessible to every student with a smartphone. Nevertheless, in XXI century teachers need to participate in a paradigm shift to become mentors rather than mere transmitters of knowledge. They require time to engage individually with students, helping them strengthen intrinsic motivation and discover strengths & talents to build their futures. Regardless of pandemic, teachers need to enhance their transversal competencies, as these skills were essential for fostering similar abilities in their students. Based on MENTOR method, M2.0 addressed the needs by providing a digital platform designed to strengthen educators' soft skills.
Despite significant advancements in civilization, such as Big Data, automation, the climate crisis, and an aging population in Europe, the teaching processes in European education have remained largely unchanged. This inflexibility became particularly evident during the Coronavirus pandemic, when many teachers found it difficult to transition effectively to online education. Over the years 2020-2022, teachers were forced to adapt to digital teaching methods. However, after the lockdowns were lifted, many reverted to traditional techniques that had not evolved in over two centuries. As the Mentor 2.0 (M2.0) consortium applied for the funding in 2021 – still in pandemic year – we observed teachers’ struggles, but we were also uncertain how long the use of digital classroom would be substituting the regular one. Hence our determination to apply for funding to produce an intuitive digital tool for educators helping them use digital classrooms but also strengthening their mentoring skills.