GamifyEU - Creativity Lab - call for participants!

During 2019, we have developed the online platform www.gamifyEU.org in which we are taking you on a journey of discovery through the history, principles, and purpose of the European Union. We will go on a quest to better understand the EU, from its origins all the way into the present and future. Play your way through Europe, learning more and more about the EU. By playing GamifyEU online game, you will learn some fun facts about Europe and test your knowledge about the EU institutions.

Now, we want to challenge both young people and youth workers to discuss, learn about and new forms of engagement of young people online and offline because for young people the digital possibilities are endless and are a natural part of their lives. Many in the youth work sector are starting to recognize this and to respond to this need that young people have. However, despite the steps forward the youth work sector is taking, it is still far behind the formal education and business sectors as a whole and even further behind the ‘needs’ and experiences of the young people we work with.

The digital world has not been so much appealing to youth workers, because it has had elements of individualism and competition which is incompatible with the principles of youth work stands for: equality of opportunity, solidarity, social justice, critical thinking, cooperation and care.
However, having an open mind-set and skills are important and valuable for all youth leaders and youth workers nowadays, to be able to provide holistic support to young people and cope with the online-offline spaces. 

Programme of the creativity lab will have the following structure:

What is gamification and how to use it for learning? How to digitalise different aspects of youth work and non-formal education - concepts and practices
What is out there - examples of gamification as a learning tool 
We can do it - developing concepts for the new games 
Recommendations and guidelines on gamification in education and youth work 

The event will take place in Parnu, Estonia from 29/03-03/04/2020 (travel days excluded).

The call is open for youth workers, gamers, educators, youth leaders, young people with experience in local community work or international youth programmes. 

The aim of the creativity lab is to bring together young people, gamers, youth workers, educators to work together on understanding how to use gamification as a tool to provide new digital learning content and develop new gamified concepts and content following the Engage, Connect and Empower concept of the EU Youth Strategy. 
During the Creativity Lab we will be:
Rethinking and creating new gamified content on topics related to the European values, solidarity, social and human rights following the Engage, Connect and Empower concept of the EU Youth Strategy
Learning on how to gamify and digitalise different aspects of youth work 
Developing guidelines on how to use the gamified content online for educational and youth work-related activities 
Reflecting on the dimensions and values of non-formal education, youth work and human rights education and assess the links with gaming 
Analysing diverse non-formal education activities and create proposals for their gamification online 
Sharing examples of good practice that will serve as inspiration for the new gamified content

After the creativity lab, participants are expected to organise workshops/events/gatherings with young people in their local communities and try out the outcomes of the lab. 

Organisers will reimburse 70% of 250 EUR of maximum travel costs per participant, based on the real costs occurred, provided that all the invoices and boarding passes are sent to the organisers within a month after the event has happened.

In case the travel costs are higher, participants can discuss raising the limit with the organisers. The project is funded by the European Youth Foundation and Erasmus plus programme. 

If you are interested to join us, apply here until February 20th 2020, 23:59 CET