Games, youth and learning: Small-scale partnership to achieve youth inclusion through Gamification tools and experiences

"<< Background >>In today's world, marked by the frenetic pace and increasing presence of virtual media, education (both formal and non-formal) is in need of constant renewal. There is a growing need for the activities in which they participate not only to be innovative, but also to be fun, to provide entertainment. This is where gamification comes into play. It is a tool that can be used for learning content, but also to promote values such as respect for diversity, the richness of difference and inclusion.The promotion of these values is particularly important in today's youth and society in general. Although they are increasingly cared for and promoted in educational settings, there is still a long way to go in terms of real inclusion. Youth groups with fewer opportunities need a social climate in which they feel fully included, without conditions or differences, and that discriminatory attitudes disappear completely.This project aimed to meet this need for innovation in the field of promoting inclusion and diversity.<< Objectives >>The main objective of the project was to promote the inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities through the use of gamification tools and the sharing of experiences in this area. This was done through small-scale collaboration of several organizations from different countries in Europe.The specific objectives were:-Empower young people between 14 and 30 years old who are at risk of social exclusion.-To promote positive attitudes towards diversity among European youth.-To learn online and offline gamification tools aimed at promoting youth inclusion.-To share knowledge, experiences and best practices previously carried out in the field of gamification and the promotion of equal opportunities among young people.-To improve the digital competence of youth workers.-To know and promote the work of small local organizations.-To build collaboration agreements and good relations between European organizations.<< Implementation >>Throughout the project, three main activities related to the project results were carried out, in addition to the activities related to the transnational meetings (initial and final) and to the coordination, dissemination and quality management of the project.In order to achieve the objectives, a first phase of needs analysis was carried out, where the entities investigated the situation of youth with fewer opportunities in their countries. They studied existing discrimination against youth on the basis of disability, race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, health problems, and geographic, cultural and socioeconomic barriers. Afterwards, the consortium entities shared their past experiences, both face-to-face and virtual, in the field of gamification and the promotion of equal opportunities among young people. Commonalities and creative tools useful for our goal of inclusion were identified and common conclusions were reached.Finally, these conclusions were translated into a digital booklet of ""Recommendations for online and face-to-face youth work towards inclusion through gamification tools"".<< Results >>The concrete results of the project would be three, corresponding to the three phases of the project: needs analysis, exchange of good practices and recommendations booklet.The needs analysis was the first phase of the project. A study was carried out on discrimination, its consequences, how it affects youth in particular, and the reasons for it. The final result was a document that clearly and concisely set out the situation of discrimination against youth in vulnerable situations in the member countries of the consortium.The exchange of good practices was the second phase of the project, in which a space was created where partner organizations shared their experiences previously developed in the fields of gamification and promotion of equal opportunities related to youth. Common points and general conclusions were identified from this exchange.Finally the conclusions of the first and second phase were collected in a booklet of recommendations on how to gamify to improve youth inclusion. It is a light and accessible document for educators and youth workers."