Checkmate project – “Living Labs and Game-Based Learning to Checkmate Climate Misinformation”
Project No.: 2024-2-LV02-KA220-YOU-000266268
The Checkmate project – “Living Labs and Game-Based Learning to Checkmate Climate Misinformation” – is a transnational initiative funded by the Erasmus+ programme (KA220-YOU), designed to strengthen youth workers’ competences and equip young people with critical thinking tools to combat climate misinformation. In the face of growing disinformation, particularly around climate change and sustainability, the project responds with innovative, educational, and participatory tools. It leverages the power of game-based learning and Living Labs to foster environmental literacy, empower youth engagement, and promote fact-based narratives on climate issues.
Today’s youth navigate an information-rich digital world, where climate change is frequently misrepresented. The spread of false or misleading environmental claims—whether through social media, unverified influencers, or interest-driven narratives—can cause confusion, apathy, or even denial of climate action.
Youth workers are on the front lines, yet often lack the tools and resources needed to address misinformation effectively. There is a clear need to develop educational approaches that are engaging, critical, and collaborative, while aligning with non-formal learning methodologies.
Checkmate brings together five organisations from Latvia, Greece, Austria, Hungary, and Romania to co-create and pilot innovative solutions that enhance young people’s resilience to misinformation. Through co-designed activities, the project will:
- Develop a toolkit of educational resources for youth workers on how to address climate misinformation.
- Design and test the “Climate Checkmate” simulation game, an engaging, scenario-based board game to foster environmental understanding and debate.
- Set up and run Living Labs in each partner country—spaces where young people explore, test, and evaluate climate claims and initiatives in a hands-on, community-driven way.
- Promote the results widely, creating a strong dissemination ecosystem to inspire adoption by other educators, organisations, and networks.
Core Themes:
- Climate Literacy & Sustainability Education
- Critical Thinking and Media Literacy
- Gamification in Non-Formal Learning
- Participatory Methods and Local Engagement
- Youth Empowerment & EU Values
The Checkmate project is co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ programme under the KA220-YOU Cooperation Partnerships in Youth. This financial support enables the development and implementation of innovative educational tools, game-based learning experiences, and youth-led initiatives across multiple European countries.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES & RESULTS
The Checkmate – Living Labs and Game-Based Learning to Checkmate Climate Misinformation project has been designed to directly respond to the growing challenge of climate-related misinformation in digital and social spaces. It seeks to empower youth workers and young people with the skills, tools, and critical thinking needed to evaluate, question, and counter false environmental narratives.
Objective: To increase the capacity of youth workers and youth organisations to combat climate misinformation by co-creating, testing, and disseminating innovative educational tools and participatory learning methods based on game-based learning and Living Labs.
Specific Objectives
- Equip youth workers with critical competences and practical tools to recognize, respond to, and educate about climate misinformation in their local communities.
- Develop non-formal, game-based learning tools to foster fact-based, engaging, and interactive education on climate topics.
- Design and implement Living Labs, offering experiential, collaborative spaces for young people to explore environmental issues and misinformation.
- Strengthen transnational cooperation among youth organisations working on sustainability, education, and digital literacy.
- Disseminate and mainstream innovative practices, inspiring a broader community of educators, youth workers, and institutions to replicate and adapt the project’s outcomes.
Project Results:
- Educational Toolkit on Climate Misinformation: A curated set of ready-to-use educational materials for youth workers, including facilitation guides, fact-checking resources, and activity templates. It will support youth work in navigating climate disinformation and promote critical media literacy.
- Climate Checkmate Simulation Game: An interactive board game that simulates real-world scenarios and dilemmas related to climate misinformation. The game promotes systems thinking, debate, and decision-making among young people.
- Game-Based Living Labs: Participatory educational experiences set up in each partner country where youth co-create solutions, test ideas, and reflect on misinformation practices within their local communities.
- Mainstreaming & Inspiring Framework: A dissemination, outreach, and sustainability package to increase the uptake of project results by other youth organisations, including community events, policy briefs, and a strategic dissemination campaign.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.