In a world striving for equality, addressing gender inequality and combating high-risk behaviors from an early age is crucial. Our recent project meeting in Prague and multiplier event brought together individuals committed to preventing gender inequality, non-consensual intercourse, and gender-based violence, in an effort to discuss the progress made so far, plan upcoming activities, define roles and responsibilities, and establish timelines for the next phase of the project, which will be the core of our initiative: the educational game Future R Us.

Let’s delve into the highlights of these inspiring 3 days in Prague and explore the outcomes!

Transnational Project Meeting

The main purpose of the transnational meeting was to assess the activities until this point and discuss the results of the focus groups conducted in the partner countries and identify the main topics that the educational game is going to focus on, among which: stereotypes, attitudes and prejudices related to sex and gender, sexuality, gender identity, gender based violence, contraception and STDs, etc. The focus groups aimed to gather information on the target audience, their age group, educational background, and preferences, understand their needs, interests, and learning styles to design a game that resonates with them.

The partners also discussed the best way of presenting the game, analyzing similar action games (such as Detroit: become human), and started to determine the game mechanics, gameplay elements, and rules that will facilitate learning. 

Following up, the consortium will develop the educational content that will be integrated into the game based on the learning objectives and create a first prototype of the game, before testing it with the target users to evaluate its functionality, usability, and educational effectiveness.

Multiplier Event

The main aim of the Multiplier Event, which was named “Introduction of Online Handbooks for Gender-Sensitive Sex Education,” was to disseminate and share the results achieved up until this point, namely the Virtual Learning Environment (https://learn.gamingee.eu/)  for gender equality education. The methodology is intended not only for teachers but also for educational and psychological staff, educational counselors, and advisors.

During the event, participants were introduced to our new online learning environment, for now available in English, and which will subsequently be made available to everyone in all the languages of the consortium (Czech, Estonian, Romanian and Spanish). We presented examples of addressing topics that ranged widely in the field of sex education, including communication and setting boundaries regarding sex and intimacy, building a positive relationship with one’s own body, exploring the diversity of human gender identities, coming out, sexual orientation diversity, and comprehensive aspects related to sexual health that addressed the needs of LGBTQ+ individuals or addressed questions for which finding materials in Czech had been challenging.

As part of our mini-conference, there was also a lecture by Associate Professor Irena Smetáčková, Head of the Psychology Department at the Faculty of Education, Charles University, and a pioneer of gender-inclusive education in the Czech Republic. 

Finally, we provided participants with an insight into the next phase of our project, in which we will be developing an interactive educational game in collaboration with a professional game development studio to deepen and modernize teaching methods related to sex education.

The success of any initiative lies in the collaboration and involvement of various stakeholders, and we are delighted that the multiplier event facilitated valuable networking opportunities, bringing together representatives from educational institutions, non-governmental organizations, and citizens.

Stay tuned for more updates!