Game Begins for Sustainable Development Goals

<< Background >>The primary goal of this project was to contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) by emphasizing the critical role of young individuals in this effort. We aimed to boost the knowledge and skills of young people (YP) and youth workers (YW) using informal and game-based learning methods.We recognized that, although there has been progress in areas relevant to the UN SDGs, significant challenges remain that require additional action. Young people, as the next generation of leaders, are essential in driving sustainable development forward. An initial needs analysis revealed a lack of awareness about the SDGs among YP in the participant countries, as well as low participation in sustainability initiatives. Despite their eagerness to support the SDGs, they lacked the necessary knowledge and skills for meaningful participation. Given the engaging nature of games and their potential to enhance learning, our project sought to utilize game-based educational tools to address these needs.<< Objectives >>The short-term goals of the project were to:- Boost the capacity of youth organizations and improve the quality of youth work by developing the knowledge, attitudes, basic skills, and creativity of youth workers in the area of SDGs using game-based learning approaches.- Employ game-based learning to increase young people's motivation to engage with SDGs through various games.- Share the knowledge and best practices gathered during the project and the online training tool created for youth workers through different communication activities.- Strengthen the ability of partner organizations to manage and implement strategic, transnational partnership projects.The long-term goals were aimed at:- Encouraging mobilization among organizations throughout Europe that support youth and innovative ideas to tackle social issues.<< Implementation >>The following activities were implemented, as planned in the proposal:- Starting the project and setting the management and implementation tools (09/22-10/22)- Preparation of the games for the 1st working sessions (11/22-01/23)- 1st working sessions (23-27.01.23, Berlin, Germany): partners tested various outdoor, indoor, board and card games focusing on SDGs and selected the most applicable ones.- Preparation of the games for the 2nd working sessions (02/23-04/23)- 2nd working sessions (17-21.04.23, Alicante, Spain): partners experienced various escape and digital games, and determined the most useful ones.- Preparation of the one-day workshop methodology and guidelines based on selected games (05/23-06/23)- Local workshops, in the form of pilot testing, organized in each partner’s country (06/23-09/23)- Preparation and finalization of the online training tool (OTT) (09/23-12/23)- Final meeting, organized in the form of a multiplier event (ME) (13-14.10.23, Iznik, Turkey)- Ongoing communication and dissemination activities, as well as ongoing management and quality assessment activities via online monitoring tools and regular online meetings (09/22-12/23)<< Results >>There were two primary concrete outputs from our project:(1) One-day workshop framework: This framework is designed to engage participants in active learning about sustainability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).(2) Online Training Tool (OTT) - gamebegins4sdgs.com: This platform showcases all project activities and results, providing a comprehensive resource for youth workers and young people. The OTT includes:- Essential information on sustainability and the UN SDGs.- A collection of adapted and tested games, complete with game objectives, a list of required materials, and step-by-step instructions for facilitators.- The content and guidelines for conducting the one-day workshop, designed for easy replication.Besides the OTT, the project achieved several additional results:– Conducted two working sessions.- Hosted local workshops in four partner countries.- Held one final meeting, presented in the form of a Multiplier Event (ME).