Purpose:

Developed as part of the Action Plan elaborated through the Municipal Intercultural Mediators Project of Porto City Council, the V.O.Z. Board Game (Values, Opportunities and Commitment) was created from a shared desire to encourage discussion and reflection on topics addressed in schools and within the Citizenship Education curriculum. Its name carries a dual meaning, representing both the voice of the school and the voice of its students.

Stimulus/Rationale:

The V.O.Z. Board Game (Values, Opportunities and Commitment) was developed in response to an identified need within the school environment to create safe, participatory, and meaningful spaces where students can express their views, engage in critical reflection, and develop the key competences required for active citizenship.

As part of the Action Plan developed through the Municipal Intercultural Mediators Project of the Porto City Council, V.O.Z. provides a practical response to contemporary challenges faced by schools, particularly in promoting equality, human rights, and intercultural dialogue.

Within an educational context characterised by cultural and social diversity, it became essential to foster dialogue, empathy, and mutual respect, transforming the classroom into a collaborative space where knowledge, values, and shared understanding are co-created.

The project addresses the need to transform ideas into action and values into everyday practice, strengthening students' sense of belonging, responsibility, and collective engagement. More than a board game, V.O.Z. is a catalyst for change and a powerful example of how meaningful youth participation can contribute to building a more inclusive, reflective, and collaborative school community.

Process:

The V.O.Z. Board Game was co-created by the team from the Porto Toy Libraries Association (ALP – Associação de Ludotecas do Porto) and three lower secondary school classes (Years 7–9) at EB Manoel de Oliveira School over three consecutive academic years. The same groups of students were accompanied throughout their 7th, 8th, and 9th years of schooling, allowing the project to evolve alongside their personal and educational development.

The pedagogical design of the game was conceived as a participatory and iterative process, structured around the following stages:

• Step 1 – Needs Assessment with the Teaching Staff

At the beginning of each academic year, a needs assessment meeting was held with the teachers responsible for the Citizenship and Development subject. The aim was to ensure that the activities delivered by the ALP team complemented and reinforced the thematic priorities identified by the teaching staff.

This assessment was guided by two key dimensions: the curriculum for each school year and the issues considered most relevant to the students' everyday school experiences and developmental needs.

Based on this collaborative planning process, the following themes were explored: Gender Equality in 2023/2024,  Human Rights in 2024/2025, and Intercultural Dialogue in 2025/2026.

•  Step 2 – Delivering Reflective Learning Sessions

A series of playful and participatory sessions were delivered using non-formal education methodologies, with the aim of introducing each theme while encouraging reflection, dialogue, and critical thinking.

For the Gender Equality theme, activities invited students to reflect on statements such as "Men are..." and "Women are...", encouraging them to identify perceptions, stereotypes, and prejudices that often shape their everyday experiences. Concepts including gender, biological sex, and gender equality were explored through interactive group activities that promoted discussion and collaborative learning.

During the Human Rights sessions, students were introduced to the 30 Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights through a set of illustrated cards and were encouraged to identify which rights they already recognised. An animated educational video was also used to support understanding of the topic and stimulate discussion.

Activities such as the "Human Rights Bingo" and "Human Rights Debate" encouraged students to deepen their knowledge while developing communication, argumentation, and critical thinking skills.

The intercultural sessions focused on helping students "step into someone else's shoes" through experiential learning activities. Participants were assigned fictional characters representing different cultural backgrounds, life experiences, opportunities, and challenges. Exercises such as the "Privilege Walk" and role-playing scenarios, in which students were asked to advise characters facing intercultural dilemmas, enabled them to explore issues of inequality, privilege, empathy, and inclusion. These experiences encouraged students to reflect not only on the realities of others but also on their own attitudes and responses towards diversity.

This stage proved to be fundamental in challenging preconceived ideas, recognising diversity, and fostering an understanding of the importance of promoting equality in our everyday lives. It encouraged students to reflect critically on their own attitudes and behaviours, reinforcing respect, inclusion, and equal opportunities for all.

• Step 3 – Co-creation of the V.O.Z. Board Game

Alongside the reflective sessions described in Stage 2, students actively participated in the design and development of every component of the V.O.Z. Board Game.

This stage enabled students to visualise the educational resource they were creating, significantly increasing their motivation and engagement throughout the learning process. By taking an active role in the game's development, students strengthened their sense of ownership and responsibility while experiencing a genuine process of co-creation.

• Step 4 – V.O.Z. Board Game Design Competition

To further broaden student participation in the collective creation of the game, the project was developed in collaboration with professors from the Arts and Technology Education subject.

During the 2024/2025 academic year, two additional Year 9 classes were invited to take part in a design competition. As part of their classroom activities, students were challenged to create an original illustration to serve as the background artwork for the V.O.Z. board. This creative process took place throughout the first and third school terms.

During these lessons, the teacher also explored the three citizenship themes addressed in the project, Gender Equality, Human Rights, and Intercultural Dialogue, ensuring that the proposed designs meaningfully reflected the educational values and objectives underpinning the game.

• Step 5 – Graphic Design and Production of the Game

Once all the educational and creative elements had been completed, the final stage consisted of designing and assembling the graphic components of the V.O.Z. Board Game, preparing it for professional printing and publication.

This final stage transformed the collaborative work developed over three academic years into a professional educational resource, ready to be used by schools and youth organisations as a tool for promoting active citizenship, human rights, equality, and intercultural dialogue

Impact:

The V.O.Z. Board Game represents an initiative of significant educational and social impact, standing as a strong example of meaningful youth participation, pedagogical innovation, and the promotion of active citizenship within the school environment.

The project's impact can be understood across three interconnected dimensions: educational, relational, and institutional.

The project enabled students taking part to engage in a progressive and in-depth learning journey focusing on gender equality, human rights, and interculturality. Through playful, participatory, and non-formal education methodologies, students developed a range of key competences essential for democratic citizenship, including:

• Critical thinking;
• Assertive communication;
• Empathy;
• Problem-solving;
• Creativity;
• Argumentation and reasoning skills.

The collaborative development of the board game enabled students to consolidate their learning by transforming abstract curriculum content into meaningful, practical experiences. The fact that the game's questions were created by the students themselves strengthened their ownership of the learning process, increased intrinsic motivation, and reinforced the long-term retention of knowledge.

More importantly, V.O.Z. went beyond simply conveying information. It encouraged students to challenge stereotypes, reflect on their own beliefs and behaviours, develop greater social awareness, and recognise the value of equality, human rights, and intercultural dialogue in their everyday lives. By creating opportunities for discussion, cooperation, and shared decision-making, the project contributed to the development of more informed, empathetic, and socially responsible young citizens.

Within a school environment characterised by cultural and social diversity, the project made a significant contribution to:

• Creating safe spaces for dialogue;
• Amplifying young people's voices;
• Promoting respect for diversity;
• Strengthening students' sense of belonging.

Activities such as the "Privilege Walk" and the Human Rights debates encouraged students to confront structural inequalities and reflect on their own position within society. This process fostered empathy, challenged prejudice, and strengthened more inclusive and respectful interpersonal relationships, extending its impact well beyond the original participants.

One of the defining strengths of V.O.Z. is its long-term sustainability. Rather than being a one-off intervention, the project's final product, the board game, serves as a lasting educational resource that can continue to be used in Citizenship and Development lessons, ensuring the continuity and transferability of the learning experience.

The scientific review of the game's content by the Porto City Council reinforces its educational credibility and conceptual accuracy. Furthermore, the professional graphic design of the game, together with the development of a comprehensive facilitator's guide, enhances its technical quality and its potential for dissemination and replication in other educational settings.

The impact of V.O.Z. is therefore both profound and multidimensional. More than an educational board game, it represents:

• A tool for youth empowerment;
• A catalyst for cultural change;
• A model of good practice in participatory education;
• An example of the collective construction of knowledge.

By giving students a genuine voice, the project reinforced the idea that active participation is both a right and a shared responsibility. In doing so, V.O.Z. embodies a vision of a more democratic, inclusive, and socially conscious school, where values are transformed into opportunities, and collective commitment is translated into meaningful action.

Key reference documents:

https://acaosocial.cm-porto.pt/migrantes-e-minorias-etnicas/mediacao-intercultural