older adult and children around a computer

Pilot of the Game in Portugal

The last months of the GaGEN initiative were very productive and fruitful for Portugal!

Finally, after a process of research, cocreation, development, training and capacity-building, the Portuguese team from Aproximar, together with associated partner Centro Social S. Brás and their facilitators went to the field to implement the intergenerational activities using the GaGEN Game!

The pilot went for 4 sessions between children and older adults, plus 2 learning sessions with separate groups. Participants were invited to (re)think about sustainable practices in their daily lives, how and what they could do at their home or even have ideas for common activities at the Center. The GaGEN game was a playful method to engage both generations and create bonds between children and older adults. Many of them asked to continue with this kind of activities after the end of the GaGEN sessions.

Pilot of the Game in France

Two pilot sessions were organised in France, bringing together 36 participants across different social establishments. Despite initial concerns about digital tools, both generations engaged enthusiastically and collaborated effectively. The game successfully fostered dialogue, learning, and mutual understanding, with strong positive feedback from participants. The pilot highlighted the value of intergenerational activities as a tool for environmental education and social connection.

Gagen pilote

Pilot of the Game in Turkey

The game, developed as part of the Gagen project, brought together different generations and provided an enjoyable and educational experience. During the trial event, seniors and children played the same game together, learning new things and strengthening intergenerational interaction.

Throughout the event, the children’s curiosity and energy, combined with the seniors’ experience and guidance, created a highly positive atmosphere. This shared experience clearly demonstrated the inclusive nature of the game and its potential impact on its target audience.

GaGEN Final Conference

Yesterday, 2th October 2025, GaGEN presented its Final Conference in Berlin, Germany: “Using serious games to engage cross-generations into awareness on climate change”.

Partners presented the results achieved during the 3-years of the GaGEN initiative to a diverse and transnational audience.

From the state of the art about games, to the methodological framework, to the GaGEN intergenerational approach!

Participants had the opportunity to try the GaGEN game in a newly updated version!

Also, guest speakers from the Euro-Med Youth Federation e. V. presented different perspectives on climate communication, education and transformation.

The approach of #intergenerational learning applied to the topic of climate change was highlighted with the results achieved across Germany, France, Portugal, Poland and Turkey.

Older adults and children reached during the intergenerational sessions and the use of the game gave positive feedback at these moments.

It has been inspiring, and we wish to continue this endeavour!

Thank you to all speakers and participants who joined! 

Speakers | Mostafa Abbas, Maria Gonçalves, Joana Portugal, Chris Schaumann, Leonie Hoffmann,  State Chair

Climate Education and Intergenerational Dialogue: Aproximar Leads Training with GAGEN Digital Game

Aproximar held a training session as part of the GAGEN initiative, aimed at professionals and educators interested in using the digital game developed by the initiative as a tool to raise awareness of climate change and promote intergenerational dialogue. The training enabled professionals from various fields to organize sessions with different audiences, from older adults to children aged between 8 and 12 in an educational or community context.

The GAGEN initiative ( 2022-1-DE02-KA220-ADU-000088317) is co-financed by the European Union and developed by a European consortium. Aproximar and Virtual Campus are the entities responsible for implementing it in Portugal.

Thanks to all the partners for their work AfejiHauts-de-France, Euro-Med Youth Federation, K-GEM, PCG Polska , Virtual Campus.

➡️ Visit www.aproximar.pt

#ClimateChange #Intergenerationality #EnvironmentalEducation #GAGEN #Approximar

Pre-test and Validation of the GaGEN Game with Experienced Gamers

After completing the first version of the game, the GaGEN partners conducted six national pre-test events, involving 24 experienced gamers from all partner countries. This process was essential to validate the usability and playability of the GaGEN digital game and to identify areas for improvement before the final version.

Key Findings on Usability and Playability:

  • High levels of usability scores, showing intuitive design and user-friendly interaction.
  • Some challenges were reported, particularly in navigation, translation, and engagement.
  • Some technical bugs and inconsistencies were discovered.
  • Playability results showed high engagement in Turkey and Germany, while Portugal struck a balance between educational content and fun.

Effectiveness in Raising Awareness:

Gamers across countries agreed that the game successfully introduced everyday actions to mitigate climate change, such as reducing waste or mindful consumption. Feedback also emphasised the importance of aligning game content with realistic actions and improving scientific accuracy.

Intergenerational Collaboration:

The intergenerational concept of the game was widely recognised as promising.

Next Steps:

The transnational validation confirmed the educational value and potential impact of the GaGEN game, while also highlighting areas that need improvement.

Partners will integrate these recommendations into the final development phase, ensuring that the GaGEN game becomes an effective, inclusive, and engaging tool to foster environmental awareness across generations.

Train-the-Trainers Event in Lille, France

In November 2024, GaGEN partners gathered in Lille, France, for the Train-the-Trainers event. This Training brought together staff members from all partner organisations and stakeholders to gain the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to become trainers and future facilitators of the GaGEN game.

The program combined both theoretical insights—such as the benefits of serious games, intergenerational learning practices, and environmental education approaches—with practical exercises that encouraged active participation and skill-building.

Participants explored how to effectively guide facilitators who will later implement the GaGEN game with kids and older adults, ensuring that intergenerational collaboration remains at the heart of the project. Importantly, they also contributed their own professional experience and ideas, helping to shape the Training that will be delivered under WP4.

This event represented a crucial step in preparing partners to support facilitators in the field and to guarantee the high-quality implementation of the GaGEN game across Europe.

Intergenerational Gardening

Intergenerational activities in the field of environment are vital! Not only for the climate, but also for the young and elderly, who have many benefits to share. 

Meet the Roots and Shoots toolkit for intergenerational gardening projects, a document based on a project led by Leicester Ageing Together in Leicester since 2015. 

This helpful guide shows the benefits of intergenerational gardening projects for the young and elderly that both need companionship and to feel understood. 

In that sense, having an intergenerational garden in the ward has numerous benefits, as it enables young and elderly people to learn new skills from each other and give a sense of purpose as it reduces the isolation of the elderly and provides support for young people who do not have grandparents available for them. 

To sum up, gardening is not only an ecological, economical and fun way to grow your own food and embellish green spaces, it also is very beneficial to fulfil both young and elderly people. 

To see more about intergenerational gardening, here is the full toolkit: https://www.gu.org/app/uploads/2022/06/Roots-and-Shoots_A-Brief-Toolkit-for-Intergenerational-Gardening-Projects.pdf 

Urban adaptation in Europe: what works? Implementing climate action in European cities

Good news!  

Almost all European cities are resorting to nature-based solutions to mitigate the impact of climate change. 

 A recent report of the European Environment Agency finds that 91% of local climate action plans include nature based solutions. Indeed, those solutions present a multitude of co-benefits including biodiversity gains, recreation potential and a positive mental well-being impact. 

Climate action is beneficial for a large amount of reasons, let’s continue to increase our involvement!  

See more about urban adaptation to climate change in Europe: https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/newsroom/news/cities-are-key-to-a-climate-resilient-europe 

intergenerational

Climate justice beyond intergenerational conflict: Do we fully understand youth climate activism and their claims for climate justice?  

“Climate justice” is an umbrella term that encompasses ethical principles for problems relating to inequalities caused by climate change (Shue 2014; Gardiner and Weisbach 2016; Gardiner 2017). For all its various definitions, the common denominator is disparities between responsibility for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the damage caused by global warming (Dietz and Garrelts 2014). The disparities are made manifest when seen through various lenses such as intergenerational inequality, historical responsibility, and critical climate justice. 

Intergenerational justice was the initial ethical idea that gave rise to the paradigm of climate justice (Taylor 2000; Shue 2014). The well-known Brundtland report, “Our Common Future”, catalyzed the institutionalization of the concept by defning sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Brundtland 1987).  

Please read more at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11625-023-01374-5