Biopochito is the main character of the game “Play 4 Earth” created by the interdisciplinary research team at the International Green Science Center for Latin America and the Caribbean (IGSCLAC). The game “Play 4 Earth” is a research project that aims to engage young students in climate change action as well as biodiversity conservation and green development. Additionally, it plans to collect data on several cognitive aspects of the young students before, during, and after the implementation of the game.
Fig. 1 Biopochito, the main character in “Play 4 Earth”
IGSCLAC was launched on June 26th, 2023 as part of the Science Culture Construction (SCC)paradigm. “Play 4 Earth” is the result of the joint efforts between different actors from the private and public sectors such as the IGSCLAC, Andean Road Countries for Science and Technology (ARCST), Unidad Central del Valle del Cauca (UCEVA), in collaboration with China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), UNESCO Media and Information Literacy (UNESCO MIL), the Journal of Latin American Sciences and Culture (JLASC), MegaScience, the International Green Science Academy Network (IGSAN), and several other local and international organizations that support the science popularization, the environment protection, biodiversity conservation, and the green and sustainable development. The framework of “Play 4 Earth” is a practical approach that emerged from the Declaration on Science and Climate Literacy across Latin America and the Caribbean (DSCLAC) promulgated in 2021.
Fig. 2 Official Logo of the SCC project initiated in 2018.
Fig. 3 DSCLAC was promulgated in 2021.
Fig. 4 IGSAN was launched in 2022 during the Celebration of the First World Green Science Day (WGSD)
Fig. 5 Official Logo of IGSCLAC launched in 2023
The multidisciplinary team involved in the creation of “Play 4 Earth” was composed of software engineers, educators, pedagogues, psychologists, gamers, biologists, and chemists from different countries around the world.
Why is the IGSCLAC promoting a game as part of a research project?
· Well, most children like games. A child can learn faster by playing. That is why IGSCLAC has developed “Play 4 Earth” to support young people ages 8 to 12 in developing green science readiness skills, raise awareness about climate change, show them the role that humans play in it, and engage them in biodiversity conservation and green and sustainable development. “Play 4 Earth” is an adventure in game-based learning drawing on a team of professors with more than a decade of curriculum development experience at their institutions. The research project is currently available in Spanish.
Why focus on children?
· Because it is necessary to involve young people in climate change action and help them to understand in a direct way the concepts and ideas about Green Science, Green Development, Sustainability, and the importance of protecting the planet from all different forms of pollution.
What are the benefits of playing “Play 4 Earth”?
· Users will learn in-demand skills in a way that is engaging and accessible.
· Offers up to 3 hours of content, broken into bite-sized scenarios for easy, on-the-go learning.
· Optimized for smartphones and accessible on any internet-enabled device.
· Tested through feedback sessions with more than 200 young people.
· Will be accompanied by resources to help facilitators navigate using technology in the classroom.
Can I see what the game looks like?
· Yes, please scroll up or visit https://journalasc.org/p4e/
How can my institution be part of “Play 4 Earth”?
· If you want your institution to take part in “Play 4 Earth” or you want to know more about the project and its benefits, kindly join our informative session on August 7th, 8 pm Beijing time. To reserve your spot kindly send us a message to editorial@journalasc.org or click the following link https://journalasc.org/contact/
The executive board of the IGSCLAC