Conscious Consumption
CoCo
it is a KA2 Erasmus+ strategic partnership project coordinated by CRN in Germany, of which ELA is a partner.
CoCo aims to drive behavioral change among European citizens towards more conscious and eco-friendly consumption patterns. Additionally, the project seeks to ensure reliable information about products and strengthen consumer protection against commercial practices such as greenwashing and planned obsolescence.
Among the project’s outcomes will be the creation of a serious game that integrates information about three of the most consumed product groups and raises awareness about what these unfair practices mean for citizens. Working on the theme of conscious consumption will advance students’ environmental and financial skills while fostering their critical thinking.
Project overview
Project info
Action: KA220-ADU – Cooperation partnerships in adult education
Project code: 2021-1-DE02-KA220-ADU-000033718
Duration: November 2021 – May 2024
Themes addressed
Conscious consumption, environmental education, green skills, sustainability.
Partner del progetto
Project coordinator:COMPARATIVE RESEARCH NETWORK EV (Germany)
ELA, EURO-NET (Italy), Dr. Ludwig Intelligent
Projects GmbH (Germany)
KAAKKOIS-SUOMEN AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU OY (Finland)
BLUE ROOM INNOVATION SL (Spain), Fundacja Otwarty Plan (Poland)
Project Outcomes
To achieve the main objective of the project, the partnership will design and develop 3 outcomes:
Hybrid educative game
The main outcome of the project will be the creation of a serious game through which adults will learn new ways to change their consumption patterns to make them more sustainable and understand how their choices can truly contribute to fighting climate change. The game will focus on three areas: food, clothing, and furniture, as these are the three product categories where European consumers spend the most. The game will be blended, meaning it will include both “physical” and digital elements. This innovative approach, especially for a game designed for adults, will be what sets it apart. CoCo aims to create a Serious Game that combines two different forms: an online part and a physical one.
Knowledge vault on conscious consumption
The Knowledge Vault is the platform that will host downloadable educational materials, the printable and playable version of the serious game, e-learning content, and the digital aspect of the serious game. The vault will contain foundational knowledge for students and educators to learn more about sustainable consumption in the form of materials, links to websites, articles, and resources collected and archived in all project languages. Users can register for free and gain access to additional information related to their learning process.
Facilitators guide
This project result aims to combine elements from both of the previous project results into a Facilitator’s Guide that will provide all the necessary foundational knowledge for trainers to understand both the CoCo concepts collected in the Knowledge Vault (PR1) and the use and learning elements of the Serious Game (PR2).
The guide will serve as an official project document for trainers who wish to enhance their educational material on the topic. It will be comprehensive and user-friendly, offering practical information to support trainers working in the field of sustainable consumption, with a particular focus on socio-economically disadvantaged communities.
We’ve worked with some of the best companies.
What’s going on in the project?
LTTA in Bologna
Another meaningful step forward in the journey of our COCO project! ?
Our recent Learning, Teaching, and Training Activity brought us to Bologna for three intense days of collaboration and experimentation.
Days 1–3:
With around 20 participants, we tested our nearly finalized COCO game, gathering valuable feedback to ensure its readiness for release. ? We also introduced our mini lessons on conscious consumption. Covering topics such as food habits, energy use, clothing, and furniture, these sessions were designed with interactive activities to foster active participation from everyone.
Engagement with people outside of our project offered a fresh perspective and an enriching experience. Their insights sparked meaningful discussions and significantly enriched our brainstorming sessions. ? Together, we explored, learned, and grew—laying the groundwork for COCO’s final steps in promoting conscious consumption.
Fourth TPM
On December 11th and 12th, 2023, ELA took part in the 4th Transnational Project Meeting in Poland! The CoCo project brought us to the beautiful city of Kraków, hosted by our partner Otwarty Plan.
Day 1:
Productive discussions and task delegations set the tone for the future of our project. We delved into the core of our main project result: a game co-created to promote conscious consumption.
? The game touches on key areas such as food, energy, housing, and clothing, aiming to make us more responsible consumers. We play-tested the initial draft of the game, learning and evolving along the way. With valuable feedback collected, we are now ready to refine and enhance the game in the coming months.
Day 2:
We embarked on a visit to two local initiatives in the Nowa Huta district, both dedicated to fighting waste: Utopia House – International Empathy Center and EMAUS.
Exploring places actively engaged in the fight against waste was truly eye-opening and further fueled our commitment to making a positive impact.
Third TPM
ELA kicked off the new academic year with another transnational project meeting—this time in Kouvola! As you may know, the goal of the CoCo project is to create a serious game focused on conscious consumption, helping both adults and young people become more aware of how their everyday choices can make a difference. During our meeting, we discussed the rules and core content of the game, which will focus on four key areas: #energy, #clothing, #furniture, and #transport. Through the game, users will have the chance to learn how to become more responsible consumers—while having fun! ?
Hosted by @xamkfi in Kouvola, we had the opportunity to take a first look at the game draft, which will soon be ready for testing.
Follow us on our journey towards a more sustainable society! ?
Second TPM
On March 13–14, 2023, the 2nd Transnational Project Meeting of CoCo took place at ELA’s headquarters!
On Monday, we discussed the current state of the project and focused on our next major outcome: the serious game designed to help adults learn how to shift their consumption habits toward more sustainable models—and how their choices can truly help fight climate change.
On Tuesday, we visited Ex Aequo, a collective enterprise based in Bologna that promotes economic justice and a sustainable, inclusive development model through fair trade and conscious consumerism.We ended the day with a lovely lunch at Le Serre, a beautiful sunlit spot nestled in one of Bologna’s greenest areas, where the food offering is based on raw materials that respect the earth and the artisan labor behind each product. We’re looking forward to the next steps!
Game Jam
On December 14th, 15th, and 16th, 2022, the first Game Jam of the CoCo project took place in Berlin. Che cos’è una Game Jam? But what is a Game Jam? It’s a unique opportunity for brainstorming and planning, where project partners come together to support the development of the serious game. The event was rooted in the concept of action learning.
The Game Jam encouraged collaborative reflection and open prototyping of game ideas and methods, which will be adopted during the project’s design and development phase.
TPM in Barcellona
September 26–27, 2022: Time to reunite under the Spanish sun for the second Transnational Project Meeting of CoCo! This time, we were hosted by BLUE ROOM INNOVATION, who also guided us through the streets of El Raval, a multicultural neighborhood full of sustainable shops and inspiring stories. Having reached the halfway point of the project’s first year, the timing was perfect to reflect on the results achieved so far and the initial steps taken in the development of the COCO game.
Kick off meeting in Berlin
On March 24–25, 2022, we were hosted by CRN in Berlin for the kick-off meeting of the CoCo project. On the first day, we outlined the project’s next steps and set deadlines. On the second day, we explored several shops in the Wedding district, all actively engaged in promoting conscious consumption. It was a great opportunity for all partners to get inspired and gain practical insights on how to become more responsible consumers!
Open Web Conference
Who takes care of the project
Those among our team have worked and continue to work with the goal of being able to finalize the project
Susanna Esposito
Contatta Susanna per saperne di più sul progetto e sulle iniziative a cui puoi prendere parte sul territorio locale
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