In a world facing growing environmental and economic challenges, education must evolve to prepare learners for a greener and more interconnected future. The EcoTrade project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, brings together sustainability, innovation, and collaboration to create an engaging educational experience for vocational students and teachers across Europe.

In a world facing growing environmental and economic challenges, education must evolve to prepare learners for a greener and more interconnected future. The EcoTrade project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, brings together sustainability, innovation, and collaboration to create an engaging educational experience for vocational students and teachers across Europe.

EcoTrade – Co-Create Learning for a Sustainable Future – is an Erasmus+ KA210-VET project that aims to develop an innovative board game focused on international trade and sustainability. The project introduces a fresh and interactive way to teach VET learners about the impact of economic activities, logistics, and production on the environment, while promoting teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

The initiative is coordinated by Fundación Instituto Técnico Industrial (ITM Miranda) in Spain, with the support of two partners: Training 2000 from Italy and Dracon Rules Design Studio from Greece. Together, they bring extensive experience in vocational education, sustainability training, and game-based learning.

The project’s core result - the EcoTrade Board Game - is designed to simulate real-world trade scenarios, encouraging players to make decisions balancing profit, efficiency, and environmental impact. Through gameplay, students discover how trade routes, production choices, and transport methods influence both growth and sustainability. Every decision in the game represents a learning moment, showing how sustainable choices can drive long-term benefits for both business and the planet.

But EcoTrade is more than a game. It is a comprehensive learning toolkit that includes:

• a Trainer’s Guide to support teachers in facilitating sessions and integrating the game into VET curricula;
• a Rulebook and Player Cards designed to make the game easy to play and educationally effective;
• an Evaluation Toolkit that measures the development of green skills, teamwork, and systems thinking.

The development process follows a co-creation approach - involving educators, trainers, and students in testing and refining the game. During the pilot phase, all partners organized local testing sessions where participants played the beta version, shared feedback, and contributed to improvements. These activities confirmed that EcoTrade fosters motivation, collaboration, and environmental awareness, helping students learn by doing - and by playing.

The final stage of the project will include the digital adaptation of EcoTrade on Tabletopia, ensuring accessibility for schools and trainers across Europe. This online version will complement the physical board game, offering a sustainable and inclusive way to continue using the tool long after the project ends.

Ultimately, EcoTrade demonstrates how game-based learning can make sustainability not just a topic of discussion, but a practical and enjoyable experience. By merging play, education, and innovation, the project empowers a new generation of VET learners to think globally and act sustainably.

EcoTrade – where learning, collaboration, and sustainability meet.

Note: The image used in this article was generated using AI tools (Canva Text-to-Image) based on descriptive text prompts.