Play, Learn, Empower: a Design Model of Student Engagement in Environmental Education.

• In Event: Place-based and participatory learning

Abstract

Amid the growing textile waste crisis, the study explores how experiential learning can foster sustainability and personal responsibility. We developed Aftermath, a board game that raises awareness through design-and-play-based education. Guided by the Stanford Design Thinking framework, eight students engaged in iterative cycles of empathy, ideation, prototyping, and testing. The game prompted players to reflect on their roles within environmental systems. Expanded participation led to new student-designed games, reinforcing learning through collaboration. Driven by the Aftermath cycle: play, learn, and empower, Aftermath became more than a game - it served as a catalyst for behavioral change and environmental responsibility. Through play, participants gained not only knowledge, but the tools to reimagine and reshape their own communities for a more sustainable future.

Author

• Julia DeVoy, Boston College