GROW - Gamify youR yOuth Work

Today's scientists strongly believe that game is an important part of the human experience. Gamification is increasingly used in educational settings as a way to enhance student motivation and consequently learning outcomes. It is also a very evolving trend in youth work. Many researches show gamification in education can improve motivation and engagement, thanks to more participative and learner-centered tools. Furthermore, as the youth is the most dynamic social group exposed to the constant information flow and due to that being less responsive, the youth workers are constantly looking for new ways of engaging young people and communicating with them in their language. Gamification creates the opportunity to meet the needs of youth and its better involvement in different activities.To meet the needs of the youth workers in creating a new, more engaging, and participant-centered environment, the partnership of 6 countries (Italy, Greece, Spain, Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro) decided to design and implement the project GROW – Gamify youR yOuth Work. The project's main goal is to build the capacity of youth workers in the participating countries and beyond on gamification methods and innovative tools that can be used in their daily activities with young people, especially the ones with fewer opportunities. The GROW project focuses on creating a blended training course (including training curricula, video tutorials and handbook) for youth workers. Training will be delivered on the local training courses in each of the partner country and all the materials will be freely accessible on the project and partners’ websites and social media, to foster their reusability and sustainability. Furthermore, youth workers interested in the topic of gamification will gain an open space for the exchange of experience and good practice in a form of Community of Practice established during the project lifetime.