Promoting green skills through games
Related priority: A European Green Deal
Penji protects the planet!
Digital technologies offer a platform for non-formal learning about the climate crisis that is especially suited to current generations of ‘digital natives’. This was the thinking behind the Erasmus+ supported Promoting Green Skills Through Games project.
This project mobilises a number of issues at the heart of Erasmus+, such as education and digital skills, to help fulfil the European Green Deal. This core EU priority of achieving a carbon-neutral economy by 2050 sees knowledge as an essential requirement for intelligent action.
Research phase
After a period of research, project partners designed a curriculum around different issues of sustainability and embedded it into a fun video game, with difficulty levels adapted to the learner.
The initial phase of research and interviews was conducted with teachers and environment stakeholders in the partner countries (Austria, Croatia, Ireland and Spain). The findings are summarised in a 26-page report called "State of the Art" on formal and non-formal education on environmental and sustainability issues in partner countries.
The report also details best practices identified in the four participating countries. These include existing interactive content and games as well as educational programmes.
All partners in the project were inspired by the passion shown by the younger generation of EU citizens fighting for climate action.
Darragh Coakley, project manager
Project outputs
The Penji Protects the Planet app
The main lasting outcome of the Promoting Green Skills Through Games project is an interactive game – Penji Protects the Planet – designed for both IOS and Android mobile platforms and available (free) from Apple and Google Play app stores.
Through the game, primary and secondary school students can learn about climate issues, such as pollution, waste and recycling. A ‘back-end’ to the app allows teachers to adapt the level of the game to different learners and specific topics. Links and tips in the game point to initiatives inside and outside the classroom to improve local environmental sustainability. A leader board adds a competitive edge that increases motivation.
Download a description of the app's back-end
Classroom posters
The project has designed a series of posters for the classroom on topics such as second-hand clothing, eating meat, locally-sourced food, car sharing and home insulation.