GREAT Endeavors: Reflections of a Year of Impact!

A look back on the past year, GREAT consortium members have not only been busy engaged in the project work but also been productive presenting and communicating its efforts with citizens, researchers, scientists, policy stakeholders, industry members and more!

20+ Presentations & Communication Events

🔬🧪 At various scientific and research conferences such as Games-Based Learning Summit & Conference, Sustainable Innovation Conference, Climate Change Symposium, Society Conference for Environmental Psychology, Brazilian-German Frontiers of Science & Technology Conference, International Conference of Young Scientists…

🌎🏛 At International Organisations such as UN General Assembly, UN Working Group meeting, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, Global Young Academy Annual Conference, Sustainable Development Goals Summit, UNESCO Global Conference, COP 28…

🎮🕹️ At games industry events such as Games for Change Festival, Sustainable Development Goals Summit, Game Developer Conference 2023, Gamescon Cologne 2023, EdTechDenmark 23…

📖 Published book - “Gaming for Good: Unlocking the power of gaming to create a better world for us all” by Jude Ower & Mathias Gredal Norvig.

Just a few of the Highlights 

📍 In July 2023, Jude Ower (PlanetPlay) was at the SDG Summit at the UN Headquarters in New York City to raise the profile of the project via a book launch, continued ongoing book promotion and connected with more industry members, non-profit organizations, policy-makers as well as academia and international research communities.

📍 In August 2023, Jude Ower (PlanetPlay) was at the major games industry event - Gamescon Cologne - and met with key industry stakeholders and shared the project efforts in increasing climate action via gaming, and engaged global audiences about climate policy. Jude met with over 30 games studios who are very interested to participate, and also shared how the data can be valuable to them, encouraging games companies to do more with gamers for climate action.

📍In September 2023, Jude Ower (PlanetPlay) and Aravella Zachariou (Frederick University, Cyprus) were at the UN General Assembly and presented the project with 193 Member States and policy-stakeholders to raise awareness and gather feedback.

📍In December 2023, Aravella Zachariou (Frederick University, Cyprus) talked to important stakeholders in key global events – UNESCO Global Conference & COP 28 – about the project efforts and engaged international key players and policy-makers, who have power to make changes.

Upcoming

📌 In March, Jude Ower (PlanetPlay) is currently at the Game Developers Conference held in San Francisco. This is the game industry's premier professional event, championing game developers and the advancement of their craft.

📌 In April, project members - Barbara Kieslinger, Claudia Fabian and Katharina Koller (Center for Social Innovation, Austria), will be at the European Citizen Science Association conference, held at the National History Museum in Vienna, Austria, to share project efforts and findings.

“The European Citizen Science Association brings together hundreds of individuals and organizations to increase the democratization of knowledge production. It supports the growth of citizen science in Europe...it believes in a world where people are empowered to make a positive change through science. The mission is to make science and research open, accessible and valuable for everyone”.

📌 In May, Jane Yau (DIPF, Germany) will be at the Global Young Academy Annual Conference held in conjunction with the International Conference of Young Scientists, at the US National Academy of Sciences, Medicine and Engineering at Washington D.C., and share the results and our first case study!! The conference theme of this year is “Transformative and Inclusive Science for a Sustainable Future”. The event will be a gathering of 200+ active members and alumni of the Global Young Academy, which consists of members over 6 continents residing in over 100 countries, as well as external guests including policy-makers, scientists, and people from non-profit organizations.

📌 In June, Anna Merry (Frederick University) will present at the 6th international conference on ‘Changing Cities’ held on the Greek Island of Rhodes, she will share the initial results of our third case study which demonstrates how the ‘GREAT’ case study methodology has the potential to be applied to urban planners and stakeholders alike.

📌 In June, Paul Hollins, Paul Watson, Celestine (University of Bolton, UK), Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen (Serious Games Interactive), Jude Ower (PlanetPlay) will coordinate a dilemma game activity at the Playful Learning Conference, to be held in Brighton, UK. The conference aims to provide a space where teachers, researchers and students can play, learn and think together in a “playful in approach and outlook, yet underpinned by robust research and working practices”.