GENTLY - Games for Energy Efficiency Youth Literacy

<< Background >>GENTLY addresses the problems of climate change and environmental degradation. It targets young people as they represent the generation that will mostly be affected in the future from the severe consequences. The project aims to contribute to the European Green Deal by suggesting non informal educational methods that will inform and educate young people on what is happening in their environment and how they can mitigate the adverse effects by taking immediate actions. In order to reach as many young people as possible and be accessible to everyone, specific methods are also developed that address the needs of visually impaired people.GENTLY focuses on three out of 17 sustainable development goals that are goal number 4 ‘Education’, goal number 12 ‘Sustainable consumption and Production patterns’ and goal number 13 ‘Taking urgent action to compact climate change and its impacts’. The project developed an inspiring and educative framework for acting and achieving these sustainability goals. << Objectives >>GENTLY aims to highlight the main pollution parameters, inform the individuals about eco-friendly alternatives to everyday practices and services used, and educate individuals about environmental facts. Finally, it is of urgent importance for an equal Europe and equal world to look forward without leaving no one behind. GENTLY focuses on both youth workers but also people with visual impairments in order to reach as much as possible.The main scope of the project is to create an innovative package of games that will include both board and online games targeting young people and young workers and also including solutions for the visually impaired. The developed game included solutions, practices and environmental issues related to energy efficiency and environmental concerns. On the version of the board game directed to young workers, different practices and solutions followed from European companies are included, so as to familiarise and inform the young people on eco-friendly methods and energy efficiency strategies.<< Implementation >>The project made an initial research analysis by carefully designing questionnaires on environmental issues in all seven countries represented in the consortium. The questionnaires have been translated into the local languages and the analysis of the results has complemented the research done by the consortium partners on the methods and approaches to be followed. Subsequently the design and concept of the environmental board game has taken shape and the developed game has also been adapted for the visually impaired people. Moreover in order to educate and inform the young workers one version of the game with information about green deal practices in companies in the countries represented in the project has been developed.In parallel the GENTLY board game has been developed also in a digital version in order to reach as many young people as possible.<< Results >>The project produced in its lifetime an integrated package of games directed to young people, young people with visual impairments and young workers. This package of tools, aims to empower young people through game based learning , aware them about environmental threats and train them about green deal practices for energy efficiency maximisation and emission minimisation.A need analysis has been conducted at the beginning of the project addressing the level of awareness and the needs of young people across the participating countries . Also extensive analysis has been made on how non-formal educational methods can be used in order to sensitise and raise the awareness of young people around environmental issues. Finally a guide is provided on how educational games can be used in educational settings and within companies so as to make young people act and work with respect to the environment. The project results have been presented in all seven countries of the project in multiplier events and a final conference in Berlin, Germany and have been promoted through the website of the project and the social channels of all partners. Furthermore, findings and recommendations for research and for the scientific and educational community's future have been presented remotely at the IAFOR international conference of education 2024. The publication is included at the proceedings of the conference, maximising the reach and impact of the project to an international audience. ( ISSN: 2189-1036 – The IAFOR International Conference on Education – 2024 Official Conference Proceedings, DOI: 10.22492/issn.2189-1036.2024.64)