IncluGamePlay is an international cooperation project implemented within the Erasmus+ Programme (KA220-SCH), aiming to make European schools more inclusive through playful and experience-based methods. At the heart of the project is the goal of providing teachers with tools that help strengthen empathy, acceptance, and a sense of community in the classroom.

The initiative pays special attention to students who often face greater challenges in the school environment: neurodivergent students, learners with learning difficulties, socially disadvantaged students, and children belonging to linguistic and ethnic minorities. The project is based on the idea that learning and development can only truly succeed when students feel safe, accepted, and supported within their community.

The IncluGamePlay project is led by Impact Games from Slovakia, an organisation with significant experience in the development of educational games. The project partners include The Foundation for 21st Century Pedagogy (E-mentoring) from Hungary, UP-Down Syndrom (Duhadlo Theatre) from Slovakia, and EGInA – European Grants International Academy from Italy. Members of the consortium bring together expertise from different fields, including game development, drama education, inclusion work, and pedagogical innovation, to contribute to the joint development process.

One of the most important outcomes of the project will be an inclusion-focused board game, which will be available both as a boxed physical game and as a free downloadable print-and-play version. The game will be developed in Slovak, Hungarian, Italian, Romani, and English, making it widely accessible for schools across Europe.

Alongside the game, a drama education toolkit will also be created, including worksheets, drama and drama therapy exercises, and video tutorials. These materials will help teachers easily integrate the tools of drama and play into their everyday classroom practice.

During the project, 200 teachers and school support professionals will participate in training, and pilot sessions will be implemented in 40 schools, involving approximately 700 students. The results of the development will also be supported by a broader communication campaign, making the tools accessible to thousands of schools across Europe.

In the longer term, IncluGamePlay aims to contribute to the development of a school culture where diversity is valued, neurodiversity is recognised as natural, and every student can find a real place within the community.

The project is implemented with the financial support of the European Union and the Erasmus+ Programme within the framework of the project titled “InkluGamePlay: Increasing Inclusion in Schools with Games and Drama Education.” The information and views expressed here represent the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.