Life's Cards
Do the cards dealt at the beginning of the game determine the outcome of the game?
NO! No to “Duraka”, no to the Life’s Cards “game of life”!
This is exactly what the new inspirational personal development game for young people “LIFE’S CARDS”, will demonstrate, which will be jointly developed until mid-2024 by 3 organisations: the youth support association “SAVA KABATA”, “SAVA KABATA”, the lead partner of the project (from Livani), the NGO “Association of Educational Games and Methods” (from Riga, Latvia) and the NGO “Women Do Business” (from Heraklion, Greece). In Livani, close cooperation will also be organised with the Municipality of Livani Children and Youth Centre and MJIC “Kvartāls”.
What will the game be about?The game will help young people from small towns, remote areas and rural areas to become more courageous, to believe in themselves, to strengthen their self-confidence and self-motivation, to practice determination and decision making by themselves (not by others) in order to achieve the goals of their lives.
The two regions involved in the project – Latgale(Latvia) and Crete (Greece) -share geographical challenges related to the distance from the national capital (even the “sea distance” in the case of Crete), which can create barriers to wider empowerment. However, the project will explore and prove that geographical distance is not “fatal”, that the decisive factor for success is the will of the young person to succeed.
During the project period – a total of 18 months -various activities will be implemented. First, it will bring together 20 real life stories of young people in small towns and remote areas (Latgale and Crete), identifying and highlighting the factors that helped young people overcome geographical barriers and succeed in life, particularly in the world of entrepreneurship. Later, in collaboration with youth workers, career counsellors, youth workers, career advisors, supporters of the new game “LifeCards” will be developed as a non- formal education tool for young people’s inspiration and personal development.
The process of the game will help the participant to understand that the cards dealt at the beginning are just the state of the moment, which can change with each subsequent step of the game (= life). ΤThe game will be designed to help the young player realize the importance of each card as an opportunity card that can be kept and used or given to someone else. Each step of the game will come with new choices, decisions, learning and communication.
The results of the project – including the collected young people’s life stories and the new game with its instructions for use – will be made publicly available to schools (classroom teachers), business centers, career counsellors, youth workers, youth support organisations. All stakeholders will also be invited to the international inspiration event planned for the summer of 2024 in Livani.
For more information, please contact the project managers:
- Natasa Grigoraki Phone number: 6977685640
- Eri Pavlaki Phone number: 6947804864.
Pilot Workshop of the Life’s Cards game
On the 1st of May 2024 in Heraklion, Crete, Women Do Business held a pilot workshop of the Life’s Cards game. This final workshop, which is the 4th part of the project, was conducted with the participation of 15 young people from Crete.
The participants played the game in 3 groups of 5 people, sharing their experiences and feedback on the game.
The Purpose of the Life’s Cards Game
The Life’s Cards game is a game promoting personal and professional growth of young people. The aim of the game is to enhance their self-esteem, their ability to take initiatives, and for them to recognise their strength for
success.
The game was developed based on interviews conducted with young people – mostly from isolated, rural areas – that have succeeded professionally, by taking under account the success factors mentioned by them. Among the participants in the workshop were high school and university students, young entrepreneurs and young employees in the public and private sector.
Workshop Introduction
The workshop started with a presentation from Women Do Business Co-founder, Natassa Grigoraki, on how the organization was established, what are its goals and the work that it does.
This was followed by a presentation from the Fundraising Manager, Sylia Dospra, on what the Life Cards game is. How it was created, its aims as well as an explanation on how the game is played and what the rules are. Before starting with the Life’s Cards game, participants played an ice breaker game to get to know fellow participants and warm up.
Gameplay and Objectives
After this, each player in the 3 groups was handed 15 cards,, including one Goal Card.Based on the goal card that they had, participants needed to gather a certain number of Aspect cards (4 types – Resources, Values, Well-being, Sociability),required by their Goal Card in order for them to meet the personal/professional goal that they had.
Those who managed to gather the cards had met their goal and left the game. Those who did not manage to gather all necessary cards after the completion of the game represented the obstacles that one may face in their path.
In the end, every participant was asked to prepare a 1 minute pitch to present their Goal Card and what Aspect Cards were needed in order to meet the goal. Then, they presented the goal and the cards in front of the other participants.
Successful Completion and Future Aspirations
The pilot workshop of the game Life’s Cards was completed with great success, offering valuable resources and experiences to all participants. The energy of all participants created an environment that promotes self-improvement and professional development.
We are proud of the program’s impact and look forward to continuing to support and inspire
more young people in the future, providing them with the tools to achieve their goals and overcome life’s challenges.
LIFE’s CARDS project is funded by the European Union. This publication reflects only the views and opinions of the author and not necessarily those of the European Union, the European Commission or the National Agency (Agency for International Youth Programmes), which cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.