About

Train2Game is a Training course funded by Erasmus+, aiming to empower participants to use games for social change and educational purposes by playfully unlocking their creative potential. Participants will learn through playing how to create their own games for their organizational needs and/or for creating social change. 

The program will guide participants step by step not only through technicalities like mechanics, dynamics, aesthetics and theories about player types and human desires but will also provide them with knowledge and skills in the fields of creativity, innovation, improvisation and storytelling. 

Through a variety of creative methods, interactive games, simulations, role plays, group and individual tasks, videos, art and drama activities, case studies, discussions, reflection time and brief theoretical inputs participants will discover, understand, develop, innovate and in the end create their own games.

The core elements of the training will be PLAY, PLAY and PLAY! 

The course is organized by the Informal Youthgroup of Egio and it is supported by Creative Youthland (CYOUland). 

It will take place in Egio, Greece from 18 to 26 April 2015.

Erasmus+

The Erasmus+ programme aims to boost skills and employability, as well as modernising Education, Training, and Youth work.

Erasmus+ will provide opportunities for over 4 million Europeans to study, train, gain work experience and volunteer abroad.

Erasmus+ will support transnational partnerships among Education, Training, and Youth institutions and organisations to foster cooperation and bridge the worlds of Education and work in order to tackle the skills gaps we are facing in Europe.

It will also support national efforts to modernise Education, Training, and Youth systems. In the field of Sport, there will be support for grassroots projects and cross-border challenges such as combating match-fixing, doping, violence and racism.

Erasmus+ brings together seven existing EU programmes in the fields of Education, Training, and

Youth; it will for the first time provide support for Sport. As an integrated programme, Erasmus+ offers more opportunities for cooperation across the Education, Training, Youth, and Sport sectors and is easier to access than its predecessors, with simplified funding rules.

Informal Youth Group of Egio

The Informal Youth Group of Egio is an informal group of people who aim to provide young people of Egio with vocational trainings and non formal education, which will enable them to positively transform the society and will provide them with a deep understanding of European foursomes. We want to assist young people with fewer opportunities to discover  their  creativity and become even better and make sure they are motivated to move forward in their lives. 

Coming from small cities ourselves but having the opportunity to travel, participate in training courses and conferences, acquire new experiences and meet people from around the world, filled us with the desire and motivation to help young people with fewer opportunities -as young people of Egio are-to gain new experiences and participate in trainings that will help them develop both their personal and professional lives.  We want to create an experimentation place in which young people find and create their own challenges, let their imagination free, take risks, collaborate, generate ideas and put them into practice, play and express their uniqueness. 

Through a unique and playful educational experience based on creative methods, young people gain new knowledge and develop skills and attitudes that enhance their personal development and benefit the local community. 

Partner Organizations

Team

Eleni Baltatzi - Trainer & Organizer

Being a youth trainer of SALTO trainers’ pool and of the European NGO, AEGEE, she offers trainings on business skills, personal development and active citizenship to NGOs in Europe. Through her long experience with NGOs, which goes back in 2004, developed her interests in non formal education, creativity, innovation and social entrepreneurship. She loves developing new training concepts and using innovative training methods.

After her working experience in different environments (start-ups, multinational companies and NGOs), she decided to start her own business and pursue her passion, design and deliver unique learning experiences. Currently she is developing her start up, a company that will offer outdoor trainings in Greece.

You can find her in nature, on the dance floor and anywhere that can spend good time with friends. Eleni has a degree in Business Administration and a Master in Business Education. She believes that in order to achieve inner peace you need to balance your body, soul and mind.

Blaz Branc - Trainer 

Entrepreneur, sociologist, author, trainer and lecturer. 

He began his career in 2001 at a start-up web company, where he worked as a salesman. Later he took over Webdesign dept. and led a group of 12 programmers, designers and animators. In 2007 he established his company Baltazar marketing and ran marketing operations for Mimovrste, a company that became the biggest Slovenian online store in 2010.

He's worked with domestic and international organizations like Porsche, Hewlett-Packard, Samsung, Toshiba, KD Funds, Si.mobil, Austrian airline, etc.

His work as an educator of adults began in 2007. He focuses on start-up programs, innovative product development, product communication and also soft skills needed to assemble and run a great team.

In recent years, Blaz has been using gamification and game-design in his work as a practitioner and trainer. 

Blaz also works as a mentor for several Slovenian mentorship programmes.

Last but not least, he created his first board game at the age of 9. In year 2000, he developed a chess game for 3 players and a 3D Battleship (Sinking the ships) pen and paper game.

Maria Sotiropoulou - Trainer & Organizer

The educational experience of Maria is described by a MSc in Human Resources Management and a BA in Mediterranean Sciences with major in International Relations and Organizations. Her wide experience in various national, European and international non-profit activities for youth, her long participation in several theatrical groups as well as her working experience enable her to be flexible, creative and social oriented.

Her interests include training and development and drama and performing arts in non formal education, creativity, cultural diversity, focused mainly on young people with fewer opportunities, something that has inspired her to be a valuable member of all the youth organizations she has joined so far.

Her passion is to integrate the theatre into the society, NGOs, business settings, supporting individuals and teams to develop their potential so that they are able to deal with certain obstacles and become active citizens.

Optimistic, adventurous, and an original traveller, during her free time she can be found reading her favourite books, gazing the sea, enjoying a good theatrical play, sharpening her acting skills, and volunteering with passion!

Georgia Sotiropoulou - Incoming Responsible & Organizer

Having a Bachelor in Political Sciences and Public Administration with major in Political Analysis and doing a Master in Methods and Applications in Social Policy, she is able to analyze the political and social developments based on modern theoretical approaches to the political and electoral systems and social inequality.

Through her voluntary action she developed interests focused on information, awareness and motivation of young people through lifelong learning and volunteering programs, about the European Union and their position in it, as well as the policies adopted at national and international level for disabled people and people with fewer opportunities.

She wants to raise youth awareness on political, social and educational issues. She usually reads philosophy, enjoys being tucked in poetry collections looking for great ideals and you can also find her anywhere near the sea. She believes that dreaming is a human right and fighting for our goals is our own human obligation.

Igor Incorvaia - Organizer

A dedicated psychologist with a First Class BSc Honours in Psychology and a MA Distinction in Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology. Possessing several years’ significant experience in the field of mental health, applies evidence-based literature and research to support best practice in the profession. Seeks the opportunity to capitalize on his work experience and and help communities in need worldwide in order to improve the quality of their life.

Daily Program

	Saturday 18/04	Sunday 19/04	Monday 20/04	Tuesday 21/04	Wednesday 22/04	Thursday 23/04	Friday 24/04	Saturday 25/04	Sunday 26/04
		Game Thinking	Game design and team	Understanding the players	Diving into it	Diving into it part II	CREATE
8.30 – 9.30		Breakfast
1 session 10.00 – 11.30	Arrivals	Expectations and Challenges, Program	How to design a game, Design for experiences	Player types – Psychology behind the games	Theme. idea and iteration process	Mechanics	Prototype your game!	Redesign your game	Departures
11.30 – 12.00		Break
2 session 12.00 - 13.30		Types of games	Designer’s team – Improvisation					Game design document
13.30 – 15.30		Lunch
3 session 15.30 – 17.00	Ice breaking and name games	Learning through games –PLAY		Psychology behind the games	Storytelling	Aesthetics, Senses, Dynamics		My next steps: Erasmus + and Youthpass
17.00 –17.30	Break
4 session 17.30 – 19.00	Team building		Elements of a game – PLAY			«Gamemakers Art»  event	Pitch and play testing time!	Evaluation
19.00 – 20.00	Reflection groups						Reflection groups
20.00 – 21.00	Dinner
21.00 - …	Welcome evening	Intercultural night	Movie night	Greek night		Souvlaki night		Farewell party

Venue

The Training Course will be held at Harmony Hotel Apartments, Longos, Greece, which is about 8km (about 10 minutes) far from Egio. 

Don’t miss the chance to have a look at Harmony Hotel Apartments .

So, we hope you now have all you need and you don't have to worry about anything!

Just pack your stuff and start thinking of... PLAY PLAY PLAY! 

Looking forward to meeting all of you in Greece!!!!

Location

The City of Egio, Greece

Egio, also written as Aeghion, Aegion, Aegio, Aigio, (Greek: Αίγιο) is a town and a former municipality in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Its population is around 30,000. Egio is a port town on the Gulf of Corinth.

Source: wikipedia.org

Egio in google map

Gamemakers Art

«Gamemakers Art» is an open to public event that will be held under the framework of Train2Game training course aiming to bring together participants with game designers/developers and gamers from Greece and abroad.

 The purpose of the event is, participants:

•         learn what should be taken into consideration during the design of a game
•   learn from successful and failed attempts to create social games and gamified experiences
•         get to Know experts for networking and develop new partnerships
•         consult experts the design and development of their own games.

Each speaker will have 15 minutes for presentation. The presentations will last 90 minutes.

Discussions will follow in order for the participants to network and make questions.

The event will be held in "Polytechneio" Art cafe in Egio city in Greece, on Thursday 23^rd April 2015 at 18.00-21.00.