Co-Designing Young People’s Pathways to Net Zero Futures (NZFs)

The Project

This 3 year action research project aims to co-design a multi-level, digitally badged, gamified micro-credential to enhance young people’s literacies of Net Zero Futures (NZFs). The project will engage various stakeholders, including young people (16-24), educational institutions, communities, businesses, unions, and governments, with a focus on empowering young people for the uncertainties and opportunities of NZFs. By engaging young people in gamified, world-building learning experiences about sustainable, regenerative, and just futures, we aim to foster new aspirations, resilience, and capabilities among young people in different development contexts.

We have been working with colleagues to develop this project, including:

Professor Peter Kraftl of the University of Birmingham (UK)

and

Professor Arinola Adefila of Buckinghamshire New University (UK)

On this page you will find a PowerPoint presentation to download.

At the bottom of the page is a video of that presentation.

There is also a video presentation of the possibilities that AI and Web 3.0 technologies offer for building an engaging and immersive on-line, gamified micro-credential.

We encourage you to view these and circulate the page link in your networks.

The Challenge

The Urgency of Now

Our world stands at a pivotal moment. The decisions we make today will shape the quality of life for future generations. Climate change poses profound threats to our environmental, social, and economic well-being. Young people, who will inherit and inhabit these futures, should be understood as active stakeholders in their own futures. Yet, many, like their adult contemporaries, lack the forms of knowledge and understanding to deeply engage with, and transform these complex challenges.

Why This Project?

Given these challenges, we propose a transformative project: a multi-level, digitally badged, gamified micro-credential program. This initiative aims to enhance young people’s literacies of Net Zero Futures. As we progress through this presentation, we will outline our goal to foster new aspirations, resilience, and capabilities among young people in different contexts around the globe, to enable them to adapt and thrive amidst the uncertainties and opportunities of Net-Zero Futures.

Outcomes

Project Outputs

A multi-level gamified and digitally badged micro-credential for young people’s Net Zero Futures literacies (comprising four levels and the award of one badge).
A web-based platform/smartphone app to deliver courses.
The digital architecture to support a global program of micro-credentials for sustainable, regenerative, and just futures.
Ongoing action research evaluations and impact reports to inform future programs.

Project Outcomes

Increased literacy among young people regarding Net Zero Futures, equipping them for future employment and livelihood opportunities.
Enhanced aspirations, well-being, and resilience in the face of uncertainties.
A global platform for accessible and portable micro-credentials.
The cultivation of ethical innovation and co-design practices.
Broader access to learning opportunities for young people and communities worldwide, aligning with sustainable, regenerative, and just future goals.