Project Title: Learn2Play Project Acronym: L2P Project Start Date (dd-mm-yyyy): 01-04-2021 Project Total Duration: 26 months "Learn2Play" is being applied for by the Malta UNESCO Youth association, together with Shokkin Group International and Fundacja ADJ, starting from April 2021. following the guidelines for 2020 for Key Action 2, Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission. Through a preliminary need assessment, the three project initiators realised from our networks that youth workers have interest in but are struggling to implement educational games. Youth workers are always in need of new, creative resources that can help them engage, enlarge and refresh their toolboxes for supporting youth in their daily work. Also, European countries are struggling in relation to migration waves, long-lasting youth unemployment (especially after the recent outbreak of COVID-19), economic and financial crises. Soft skills, including communication, social and people skills (such as time management, problem solving, creative thinking and teamwork), character traits, career attributes and social intelligence are lacking in the youth of the current European Society. The partners in this application want to enhance these forgotten skills, as we believe in youth, which are still eager to learn and have a larger sense of motivation. The aim of this project is therefore to give stakeholders in the youth field who would like to use educational games for soft skill development, accessible theoretical & practical information on game development, together with pre-developed educational games which aid in developing soft skills of young people. The objectives can be summarized as: -To research soft skills development needs amongst youth and create a structured approach using game-based learning through focus groups and interviews -To develop and pilot an online game development course tailored to youth workers -To design, test and promote 6 fully developed printable educational games for soft skill development through a process of prototyping, testing and re-evaluating -To increase operational capacity of partner organizations in delivering quality educational services to young people and educators through game laboratories, training and playing events -To promote the use of educational games and spread the results of the strategic partnership among relevant stakeholders locally & internationally through physical and online multiplier events -To develop young people’s soft skills by the means of educational games and equip youth workers with tools to gamify their activities The minimum number of participants who are envisioned to be involved in this project are: - At least 20 participants to take up the e-course from the project partner members and additional partners to follow through the pilot term; - At least 60 young people taking part in test events of the games; - At least 180 young people to play the finished games during launch events; - 12 educators which will be trained to use the developed games as educational tools; - At least 90 educators, national figures, national agency representatives, amongst others in the multiplier events; - At least 30 live participants in the webinar; Very briefly, the project timeline will involve: 1) Kick-off and set-up of the project, including a physical meet-up. 2) Running focus groups and information gathering. 3) Development of the first tangible result, the e-course which will hold theoretical and practical information for educators and youth workers who would like to use educational games in their work. 4) Development of game prototypes, testing, review and finalisation of the second tangible output. These will be 6 ready to use educational games that are aimed to teach soft skills to youth. 5) Promotional gaming events 6) Training activity to teach educators to get the most out of these games. 7) Dissemination activities, through local events, including multiplier events. 8) Close off, including evaluation and review. Briefly, the project will impact youth workers by understanding needs, learning new methodologies to work with youth and have better competence and skill sets to use. Young people will feel empowered to join NFE activities, increase their sense of initiative, improve on their soft skills and gain more language competences. NGOs, partners and stakeholders will develop networks, cooperation skills, skill sets, their team and competences. Long term, the two main tangible outputs will remain available for the use of anyone, by being available online (through SALTO-Youth platform, Erasmus+ Results Platform, shokkin.org, adj-fundacja.pl & muya.info) and physically to use for free with the minimum of 30 printed game units.
The project aimed to have: A completed research on soft skills development needs amongst youth and a created structured approach, using game-based learning through focus groups&interviews, A ready-to-use online game development course tailored to youth workers, 8 fully developed printable educational games on soft skill, designed, tested and promoted, combined in a toolbox, related to: understanding soft skills, Communication, Teamwork, Leadership, Emotional Management, Time Management, Problem Solving, Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, Conflict Management, Integrity, Increased operational capacity of partner organizations in delivering quality educational services to young people and educators through game laboratories, training and playing events, Promoted the use of educational games and project results among relevant stakeholders locally/internationally through physical and online multiplier events, at local, regional and European level, Developed young people’s soft skills, using educational games and equip youth workers with tools to gamify their activities, when the games were already taken to the young people groups, played either through the consortium of the project or by the stakeholders supporting the project.
"Learn2Play" is a project implemented by the Malta UNESCO Youth association, together with Shokkin Group International and Fundacja ADJ, supported by EU Training Academy, which lasted from April 2021 until May 2023. The partners have realized from our networks that youth workers have interest in but are struggling to implement educational games. Youth workers are always in need of new, creative resources that can help them engage, enlarge and refresh their toolboxes for supporting youth in their daily work. Soft skills, including communication, social and people skills (such as teamwork, Emotional Management, Time Management, Problem Solving, Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, Conflict Management, Integrity), have been lacking in the youth of the current European Society. The partners in this application were focus on enhancing these forgotten skills, in order to boost their sense of motivation. This project aims to develop tools to support youth workers in creating their own based learning methodologies (the created ecourse Learn2Play), adapted to their target groups or, use the ready games created by the project to support youth soft skills, supporting their personal and future professional development.