How do we motivate children to learn for themselves — not from fear, not for grades?

I'm a school principal from Odesa, Ukraine, with a PhD in Economics and MA in Psychology. This combination led me to an unexpected idea.

Children want to earn. Not because they're materialistic — but because they want to feel competent and capable. Society says "no work until 16." But the desire doesn't disappear.

So I asked: if children can't enter the real economy, why not build one around learning?

Bookvik AI analyzes learning quality, persistence, and progress. We convert knowledge into BookvikCoin — a digital currency you cannot buy, only earn through intellectual effort.

Students exchange coins for real rewards: books, tablets, theatre tickets, summer camps.

We tested this with 200+ students during blackouts and air raids in Ukraine. They still passed Cambridge exams.

This is the question I want to explore at Bett — and I believe the answer can change education forever.