Board Games Against Social Exclusion Erasmus Project

Project Title

Board Games Against Social Exclusion

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

Context/ Background :
The project “Board Games Against Social Exclusion” was mainly focused on an innovative method of developing among its participants the so called soft skills by means of modern board games. We had the belief that playing modern board games enables development of the players in various fields. Modern board games are quite sophisticated. They not only require from a player throwing a dice and moving a number of places but also, what is even more crucial, logical, strategic and creative thinking or team work and cooperation. We wanted to use board games as and educational and social tool and felt that they were perfect alternative of spending free time and have fun with real-life friends away from online activities.
Objectives:
Academic:
In education we felt that many teachers could be encouraged to use board games to present or consolidate students’ knowledge in different subjects such as mathematics, science, history or a foreign language. They allow to expand vocabulary and spacial intelligence.
Social skills:
In addition to the academic, we felt that board games could also be used as icebreakers, team-building activities and serve as a way for participants to learn by doing it in an informal way, to be more active, to acquire autonomy, to develop a method of work and to foster team spirit.
In the context of our project we had the objective of using board games to put our learners in authentic situations among other Europeans of their age by organizing project camps in two different European countries. This allowed them to meet and interact with other European learners of their age and acquire competencies in oral communication, mainly in English. Thanks to these camps our learners also learnt and discovered European cultures in native place and introduced their own culture in native place, built friendships, broadened their cultural horizons, acquired new social and intercultural skills, and foster tolerance.
Participants:
The target group of the project was over 12 years old students across (initially 4 schools – which reduced to 3 when the French school withdrew). We tried to choose students who didn’t necessarily have the initial skills and confidences – which would then be developed through the project. As a result they developed the softer skills which included the ability to work in a team and developing the creative and imaginative to collaborate and form board games. At the same time, the collaboration playing and creating board games meant that they were motivated to learn languages and developed an interest in different subjects. in addition to this, we found that they learn and developed a respect other cultures.
As regards the staff- we chose staff from a range of subjects who would be able to discuss and share teaching and learning ideas with colleagues from other subjects and countries. IT supported the delivery of English in Poland and Romania and supported the cultural capital dimension in the UK school. We also learnt about other educational systems and acquired new teaching tools such as innovative approach to the use of board games in the classroom or as a therapeutic tool in education.
Activities undertaken:
The project was impacted firstly by the withdrawal of the French school at the start of the project which delayed the start of the activities as we consolidated and amended the project slightly.
The second was the start of the Global Pandemic. The closures of schools across Europe, move towards online learning and then when the schools did open back the constant isolation of groups of staff and students meaning there was a lack of consistency in the staff and students in school and available to carry out the project.
However, despite these obstacles, we were able to undertake:
– 2 Transnational Project meetings Poland and Romania
– 1 Language Camp in the UK – partners for Poland and Romania attended with the students form the UK
– Website created
– Games clubs established and set up in each school
– each school created a ERASMUS corner to showcase the work and promote board games.
– a logo of the project was created and used.
– surveys were carried out
– promotional material was created to promote playing board games
– to promote board games and as an incentive tournaments were held and winners attended the first language camp
– A night with board games at school so that all stakeholders were aware of the project
– Students across the partner schools created and shared a list of most popular board games among students
Results and impact:
Games clubs still continue as part of extra curricular activities at the schools, to encourage students to spend time away from online games and spend time with other students developing social skills which is even more important now following the isolation of the pandemic.

Project Website

http://ersamus.wordpress.com/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 73510 Eur

Project Coordinator

New College Durham Academies Trust & Country: UK

Project Partners

• Lycée Louis Thuillier
• Scoala Gimnaziala “Mihail Sadoveanu”
• Szkola Podstawowa nr 5 im.Mieszka I