In its Strategy 2030, Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences has committed itself to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, regional and supra-regional impetus for society and internationalisation, among other things. Just in time for the start of the new winter semester, Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences is therefore also taking part in the EU "Games for Goals" project.

In the project, which will be funded between 2022 and 2025, Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences is committed to sustainable development and global citizenship. With the project coordinator from the curative education department, Friedrich Ederer, this not only strengthens the international orientation of the university, but also its networking in society: "Games for Goals is a follow-up project to the EU project Citizen Games, which has been running since 2019 during the coronavirus pandemic. Together with students from the university and in cooperation with the participating EU partners, online games were developed for teaching in middle and upper secondary schools. Then as now, the focus is on communicating the SDGs, the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, in a playful way. From the findings of the previous project, it became clear that we should also reach a younger target group, as they still have a very intuitive and playful approach to education," explains Friedrich Ederer.

"With the new programme generation, we want to work with our partners in France, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany to encourage students and teachers to develop low-threshold accessible games - GAMES - to raise awareness of the aforementioned goals - GOALS. The aim is to create multilingual teaching materials for primary schools as free "print & play" educational games," continues Ederer.

Initially, primary school teachers from European countries will be invited to attend seminars and workshops on active pedagogy and the Sustainable Development Goals, where they will be trained by experts from the NGOs. The key topics developed here will be incorporated into a Europe-wide search for existing game-based teaching materials, from which a catalogue of innovative methods in Europe will be developed. At the same time, students from the participating universities will develop innovative educational games in three workshops in interdisciplinary and international groups. At least one of these newly created activities will deal with an environmental topic of sustainability, while at least one other will deal with a socio-economic topic.

The students will be professionally trained and supported in their projects by staff from the NGOs and the universities. In 2023, these meetings will take place in Porto and Antwerp and in 2024, Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences itself will welcome a group of international students, experts and teachers to develop an educational game here on site. These educational games will then be trialled by primary school teachers in their classes with the support of the project staff and revised based on their experiences.

Interested primary school teachers and students of Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences are cordially invited to contact Mr Ederer if they are interested in participating - the travel costs associated with the project will be covered by project funds.

Captions:

Picture 1: Project coordinator Friedrich Ederer (centre) with the participating team members of the International Office Cecilia Prüfer, Daniel Harder, Abu-Bakar Athman and Melissa Gürtler (from left to right)

(Photo: Jenny Ettrich)

Image 2: The project is supported by the Presidential Board and the International Office. University President Prof Dr Jörg Wagner and Project Coordinator Friedrich Ederer with the Erasmus+ Incoming and Outgoing Coordinators Jacqueline Heidler and Jenny Ettrich

(Photo: Nadine Kathrin Luschnat)