By Opesika Tetteh Puplampu, GNA
Accra, Sept. 09, GNA — The Climate Sociologist, a youth-led climate education organisation, is using games, storytelling and cultural experiences to engage young people and adults in discussions on climate change and action.
At a three-hour Youth Game Lab 2026 – Climate and Culture Edition, participants aged between 12 and 40 explored climate change, climate justice, net zero and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through local stories, cultural practices, everyday experiences and community knowledge.
The workshop, held at The Climate Sociologist Studios in Accra, brought together 30 participants from junior high schools, tertiary institutions and the working population.
It sought to move beyond conventional approaches to climate education, by enabling participants to become game designers and develop practical tools for communicating climate-related issues.
Working in teams, participants followed a design process that involved identifying a problem, defining the player and objective, developing game mechanics, creating prototypes, testing them, and making improvements.
Using accessible and recycled materials, they developed non-digital climate games and subjected the prototypes to play-testing.
The exercise required the teams to ensure that their games were engaging, understandable, fair and culturally relevant while effectively communicating climate messages.
Ms Emmaryn Leuzzi, a facilitator at the workshop, said the exercise demonstrated that climate education could be delivered through interactive and creative methods rather than relying solely on conventional lectures and presentations.
“The final game pitches demonstrated something important: climate education does not always have to happen through lectures, reports or presentations. Sometimes, learning can happen through play,” she said.
The workshop also provided an opportunity for participants to examine how African culture, indigenous knowledge, livelihoods and community experiences could influence how climate issues are understood and communicated.
The organisers said integrating local knowledge and cultural perspectives into climate education could make climate conversations more relatable and encourage greater participation, particularly among young people.
The Climate Sociologist is a youth-led organisation focused on climate education through culture, storytelling, the arts and research.
It also organises Green Tales, an annual high school climate competition aimed at engaging students in climate-related learning and action.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo/ Christabel Addo
09 Sept. 2026
Reporter: Opesika Tetteh Puplampu, GNA