GreenEduLARP - Green Actions in School using Educational Live-Action Role-Playing (EduLARP)

"<< Background >>We initiated this project to address the urgent need for innovative education to tackle climate change, recognized as one of the greatest challenges of our time. The EU’s Green Deal and the European Education Area’s Climate Change Coalition have called for concrete actions at all levels. Education's role in addressing climate change has gained recognition, as it is crucial for driving societal change.Teachers needed updated tools to foster creativity, critical thinking, and global awareness in an interactive setting. Learning through Live-Action Role Playing (EduLARP) was identified as an effective method for developing problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills. This project explored EduLARP’s potential for Climate Change Education, aiming to engage students and enhance their abilities to address environmental challenges.Despite EU-level efforts, meaningful behavioral changes toward a greener future were lacking, highlighting the need for more engaging, transformative educational experiences. Therefore, teachers required refreshed approaches to better equip students with the skills needed for a sustainable future.<< Objectives >>The project GreenEduLARP aimed to use EduLARP (Educational Live Action Role Playing) as a tool for Climate Change Education (CCE). Through this approach, both students and teachers connected climate change topics learned in the classroom with real-life situations, helping them relate these lessons to their own lives and attitudes toward environmental sustainability.The project aimed to: 1) empower teachers with new competences in environmental education through LARP, 2) enhance students' confidence and teamwork skills while learning about climate change, 3) create accessible online materials for wider use, and 4) develop a transnational strategy to integrate EduLARP into school curricula. The curricula and strategy were crucial for integrating EduLARP into Climate Change Education. They provided and provide also in future teachers with practical tools to engage students in learning about climate change and offered a framework for adapting and sustaining this approach in schools long-term.<< Implementation >>In the GreenEduLARP project, we implemented various activities to achieve our objectives. The project brought together stakeholders and target groups, including teachers, students, LARPers, policymakers and environmental activists. These groups engaged in co-design, co-creation, testing, piloting, sharing, and promotion activities.Teachers and students collaborated to build educational role play games related to green actions, adapted to the EduLARP game methodology, fostering greener attitudes while developing 21st century soft skills. Like value/empathy competence, social competence, communication competence, self-efficacy competence, systems thinking, entrepreneurial competence, valuing sustainability. We created curriculum and toolkit for the edularp method - https://greenedularp.lajvverkstaden.se/ Through the AV Hub tutorials, we disseminated information about EduLARP at the EU level, presenting its educational benefits - https://www.youtube.com/@GreenEdularp YouTube: 30 videos, 40 subscribers, 5,590 impressions.We designed a strategy offering suggestions for more experiential learning through EduLARP for a more effective education system - https://greenedularp.lajvverkstaden.se/about/result-4/ Additionally, we developed a project web platform - https://greenedularp.lajvverkstaden.se/ . This contributed to the development of future-oriented curricula, empowering young learners to become agents of environmental change, better citizens, and strong team workers.We organised ca 40 local events to disseminate GEL prpject. All together: 480 teachers were trained through seminars and local events.We tested methodology in 14 schools. 226 students participated in EduLARP activities. EduLARP performances in partners countries: Estonia: 2, Sweden: 3, Poland: 6 and Greece: 3We make roundtables and presented GEL in different seminars: 64 policymakers were engaged in discussions about climate education and EduLARP methods. GEL project was presented in Presented at the Learning Planet Festival 2023. Featured at a LARP event organized by RoesCooperativa under the ErasmusPlus project ""Role4Change"" in 2023. Published in the conference abstract book proceedings of ""Education, Teaching, and Lifelong Learning in the 21st Century"" in June 2024. GEL project participated in the European Commission’s ""Education for Climate Days 2023"".We created Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/greenedularp . 393 followers, 63 posts, reaching a total of 15,397 people.We organised multiplier events: total participants: 243 persons.Approximately 4,000 people benefited from the project’s activities, including local community members, youth, educators, policy makers, and other relevant stakeholders.<< Results >>The GreenEduLARP project achieved several results:1) GEL curriculum: https://greenedularp.lajvverkstaden.se/outputs/result-1/ this learning and teaching material was designed to help teachers and students develop essential 21st century competencies (social, civic and entrepreneurial), fostering knowledge, understanding and ownership of values and attitudes. Through targeted EduLARP activities, the curriculum empowered teachers with new competences for Climate Change Education (CCE) and served as a model for designing and delivering green EduLARPs at schools.2) Teachers' toolkit: https://greenedularp.lajvverkstaden.se/outputs/ This resource supported teachers to use green educational roleplay games in the classrooms. It is introduction of EduLARP methodology in the classroom for climate change actions.3) GEL AV Hub: https://www.youtube.com/@GreenEdularp/videos collection of videos, animated presentations, interviews, and tutorials. This hub includes practical and useful tips for future applications, ready-to-use activities, and digital resources.: 30 videos, 40 subscribers, 5,590 impressions.4) Strategy on LARPing adaptation to national school curricula: strategy document highlighted the importance of the interdisciplinary approach of EduLARP- https://greenedularp.lajvverkstaden.se/about/result-4/ 5) Web platform: A project website https://greenedularp.lajvverkstaden.se hosted all resources, including the GEL Curriculum, Teacher’s Toolkit, and AV Hub tutorials, ensuring open access for a wider audience.6) Teacher training and pilot testing: We organized training sessions and pilot tests in 14 schools schools, demonstrating the practical application of EduLARP and its impact on students’ skills and environmental awareness.7) The project successfully developed and implemented. These outputs effectively supported the educational goals of the project and enhanced Climate Change Education. GEL project and results were presented in several international conferences and networks.8) GreenEduLARP officially participated in the European commission's challenge ""Education for Climate Days 2023"". Green Edularp has been included as a Good Practice, in the digital booklet of the EU Education for Climate Day, with inspiring green education initiatives in 2023. GEL project was in KIDOT Festival 5 in Thessaloniki. Also Green Edularp presented in Brussels as a good practice for Climate Change Education by our partner Stimmuli for social change in 2023. GEL project was presented as a good practice and shared with other changemakers from the European Commission, academia, entrepreneurship sector and civil society.Peipsi Cooperation Center held several GEL training sessions and also participated in Tartu as part of the role-play festival in 2023. Also GEL was presented in the annual conference of the Green School Programme in Estonia of the Green School network in 2023The project’s web platform and multimedia resources surpassed initial expectations by reaching a wider audience and providing accessible, high-quality educational materials. The strategy document also generated substantial interest in policy discussions, exceeding initial goals by influencing future curriculum development.Project reached directly via training and seminars at least to the 480 teachers, 226 students participated directly in GEL testing and implementing activities. The GEL project reached directly to 64 policy makers. In social media there are 393 followers and YouTube videos have 5590 impressions."