Green Games Lab

How can we make environmental education more engaging, interactive and accessible to young people? And how can we use games not just for entertainment, but as meaningful tools for learning, reflection and social change?

Green Games Lab is a 7-day international Erasmus+ training course designed for youth workers, trainers, facilitators and educators involved in non-formal education and youth work who want to explore the potential of game-based learning in environmental education.

The training will bring together participants from Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Spain and Türkiye to explore how educational games can help young people better understand ecological challenges and develop the motivation and skills to take action.

Throughout the week, participants will move from exploring environmental issues and game mechanics to designing, prototyping, testing and improving their own educational games.

During the training, we will focus on:

• Game-based learning in youth work: Understanding how games can support non-formal education, participation and meaningful learning.
• Environmental education: Exploring topics such as climate change, biodiversity, sustainable consumption and environmental protection.
• Educational game design: Learning about game mechanics, storytelling, rules, objectives and different formats, including board games, card games and role-playing games.
• Prototyping and playtesting: Working in international teams to develop ecological games, test them and improve them through feedback.
• Inclusive facilitation: Exploring how to adapt games to different groups of young people, including those with fewer opportunities.
• Practical application: Planning how to use the developed games and methodologies in local youth work activities.

The programme will be based on non-formal education methods, including experiential learning, creative workshops, group work, peer learning, practical exercises, reflection and collaborative game development.

By the end of the training, participants will have developed practical competences in educational game design and facilitation, as well as contributed to the creation of ecological game prototypes that can be further used and adapted in youth work.

We are looking for participants who:

• Are 18 years old or above.
• Are actively involved in youth work, non-formal education, training, facilitation, volunteering or community-based educational activities.
• Work directly with young people or are involved in organisations providing educational opportunities for youth.
• Are interested in environmental education, sustainability and innovative educational methodologies.
• Are motivated to develop practical skills in designing and facilitating educational games.
• Are open to creativity, teamwork, intercultural learning and active participation.
• Have a communicative level of English.
• Are willing to apply and share the methods developed during the training through local follow-up activities.

We particularly encourage applications from youth workers with fewer opportunities and those working with young people facing social, geographical, economic or other barriers to participation.

No previous experience in designing educational games is required. However, applicants should have a genuine connection to youth work and be motivated to use the learning outcomes in their educational practice.

What to expect?

Green Games Lab is a hands-on and intensive training course. Rather than simply discussing educational methodologies, we will spend a significant part of the programme actually creating, testing and improving games together.

Participants should be prepared for active involvement, creative challenges, collaborative work and daily reflection.

If you're genuinely interested in game-based learning, environmental education and developing practical tools for young people, we'd love to have you join us!

Follow-up and dissemination

The learning process doesn't end when the training finishes. Participants will be encouraged to test and use the developed games in their local communities, organise follow-up activities with young people and share the methodologies and resources with other youth workers and organisations.