INVOLEN is an innovative project promoting intergenerational learning through game-based learning, targeting nature conservation volunteers in 5 European countries (Italy, Greece, France, Hungary and Slovenia). INVOLEN brings together two different age groups, adolescents and senior citizens and encourages their participation in voluntary activities for the protection and preservation of the European ecological heritage, focusing on NATURA 2000 sites. Seniors and youth are challenged to work together in groups and design their own interactive ICT games on nature conservation. A wide dissemination campaign of the INVOLEN model is launched by initiating school competitions leading to European awards in all participating countries.

The objectives of the project include promoting volunteering for nature conservation, making adult education more attractive to all ages, enhancing the preservation of protected areas including NATURA 2000 sites, contributing to the cohesion of communities living inside or near protected areas by enhancing their awareness of the ecological value of their surroundings, bridging the generations' gap by deriving benefits for young and old and by involving schools and the civil society and promoting the culture of active citizenship.

For more information read here: http://www.involen.eu/en/

The preparation of the European Competition on Location Based Games started early after the SCM in Szombathely (July 2014) and was finalized in September 2014.    

A specific blog in English and in all partnership languages was created to provide all information to access the competition: criteria, requirements, materials to submit, deadlines and forms were uploaded on: https://involeneuropeancompetition.wordpress.com/, facilitating information access and submission of materials.  

The Competition was launched during the national workshops (mostly in October 2014) and disseminated to a broad international public in each country of the partnership and on  European level, like international conferences, associations dealing with nature protection and education, school networks, ngos e.t.c. The teams had about 6 months at their disposal to deliver the final materials, index of stories told by elders, which were used in the games' plots and the Location Based Games, including their evaluation of the project and the procedure.  

In total, 30 teams in January registered to the European Competition from the countries of the partnership; while by the end of the Competition in April 2015 21 entries (games) were recorded.   By June 2015, all countries elected their Best Conservationist's Location Based Game, with the help of a Jury of Experts who was entitled to evaluate the materials and the games based on an evaluation form criteria. Only one winner per country had the eligibility to travel to Florence as finalist of the national selection for the European Competition Award Ceremony, during the International Conference "Innovation in environmental education: ICT and intergenerational learning".  

The winners were: The Italian team with the LBG: Aegylon. The French team with the LBG: Belnac adventures The Greek team with the LBG: Construction of a bird observatory at Polifitos Lake (Kozani) The Hungarian team with the LBG: The pasha's chest The Slovenian team with the LBG: Magic of nature      

At the 24-25th of September, the International Conference "Innovation in environmental education: ICT and intergenerational learning" was held at the Auditorium Sant' Apollonia in Florence, under the patronage of the Tuscan Government. The topics of the Conference covered technological, social and environmental aspects: use of ICT, Apps and Location Based Games in environmental education; intergenerational learning, examples of science education linked to the environment, but also social engagement in school and in local communities.    

The first day started with the welcome greetings by the director of IBIMET-CNR, Antonio Raschi, followed by the presentation of the INVOLEN project by Fouli Papageorgiou on innovative aspects, results, advantages and constraints. 

Four invited speakers covered the innovative aspects of environmental education: David Gagnon from Wisconsin University (USA), director of ARIS platform; Alba L'Astorina on communication between environmental stakeholders (especially schools and research); Dan Ferrand Bechmann, emerite professor at the University of Paris 8, expert in volunteering and intergenerational aspects; and Diana Prince on behalf of Diego Guerri, president of WWF-Livorno.

A total of 25 lecturers were included, taking part in parallel and plenary workshops.

On the second day, the Evaluation Session and the Ceremony Award for the European Competition for the Best Conservationist's Location Based Game took place. 
The event started with a short introduction about the European Competition background and rules for the evaluation of the best game. All conference participants were involved in the evaluation through the formation of three Juries: Jury of Experts, Jury of Conference Delegates and Jury of Youth.

Afterwards, the five winning teams from all partners' countries gave a 25 minutes' presentation about the Involen experience and the games submitted to the Competition, while in the meantime the juries had to evaluate the best game.   After a long evaluation process which had constructive arguments among Jury members, the final decisions were announced by Iren Kukurelli and David Gagnon, who brilliantly chaired the Award Ceremony.

The results were the following:  

1st classified: Belnac adventures (France);
2nd classified: Aegylon (Italy);
3rd classified: Construction of a bird observatory at Polifitos Lake (Kozani) (Greece) and 4th equal position for The pasha's chest (Hungary) and Magic of Nature (Slovenia).  

The three first classified received a cup and a certificate as winners (1st, 2nd and 3rd classified), beside besides one medal and a certificate to each member.  

The 4th classified team members got a certificate of being finalist to the European Competition.   In the final session of the Conference, the rapporteurs of each workshop summarized the workshops results, and an overall conclusion was also given by Fouli Papageorgiou.    

Read all the latest about the publications of the INVOLEN project in partners' countries here