Gamification applied to European Code Against Cancer Dissemination in Schools

"<< Background >>We applied for the #GAME ON project to design and disseminate educational resources using gamification to promote the European Code Against Cancer (ECAC). Facing rising cancer prevalence and mortality in Europe, it is critical to invest in health literacy among youth, enabling them to make healthier choices and prevent cancer. The project addresses the need to inform young people about actions they can take to reduce their cancer risk, based on evidence that 40% of cancer cases can be prevented. We aim to provide schools and teachers with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to promote health education and cancer prevention principles, thus contributing to the Erasmus+ objectives of inclusion and diversity. By developing an interactive educational package aligned with the ""Beating Cancer Europe"" strategy, we introduced students to the ECAC using digital and hard copy resources. This initiative allowed us to expand the reach and effectiveness by providing more funding for materials and human resources, significantly enhancing our educational programs, engaging more participants, and ensuring sustainable project growth.<< Objectives >>By implementing the ""Game On"" project, we aimed to achieve several key objectives. Primarily, we sought to raise awareness and understanding about ECAC among students, teachers, and the broader school community. We wanted to develop and distribute innovative educational resources that leverage gamification to make learning about cancer prevention engaging and effective. Empowering educators was also a crucial goal; we aimed to equip them with the necessary tools, training, and support to effectively teach cancer prevention. Lastly, we wanted to ensure the project's sustainability by creating lasting educational frameworks and materials that could be used beyond the project's duration, providing long-term benefits. << Implementation >>To achieve our objectives, we implemented several key activities. We began with kick-off meetings to introduce the project to teachers from Portugal and Italy, laying the groundwork for collaboration. We conducted comprehensive training sessions for educators, enabling them to effectively use new resources and gamification strategies in their teaching. We developed and distributed a variety of educational resources, including the project logo, rules and regulations, educators' guide, and gamification elements aligned with the European Code Against Cancer (according to R1). We established a shared folder, designed promotional materials like posters and banners, and created a communication plan for widespread dissemination. Additionally, we also organized workshops across more than 40 schools to engage students directly through interactive sessions (according to R7). To extend the project's impact beyond the classroom, we distributed booklets with gamification elements to families (according to R6). A final forum allowed schools to share good practices, culminating in an international event that broadened the exchange of strategies and experiences, fostering collaboration and shared learning between both countries (according to R9).<< Results >>The concrete outputs of our project include the distribution of digital materials in a shared folder, such as the project logo, rules and regulations document, posters, banners, and teachers' resources. We developed an educator’s guide and PowerPoint presentations for teachers and conducted two kick-off events, and training sessions for educators. We organised 80 workshops in 40 schools, directly reaching 2110 students and 135 teachers, with an extended reach of 6330 students and 405 teachers through replicable workshops (according to R7). We distributed 6330 booklets with gamification elements to families (according to R6). Additionally, we organised a final forum event showcasing student-created games, attended by nearly 100 students. The ECL best practice sharing session disseminated not only the Game on project but also its results (according to R9). Finally, the project resulted in the creation of around 54 games on the European Code Against Cancer (according to R8). These activities collectively promoted the project's educational goals and fostered collaboration and shared learning."