JOIN THE GAME: Innovative tools to break down career choice barriers for girls and young women

European project
January 2022 to February 2024

The JOIN THE GAME project aims to develop an urban game to encourage girls and young women to take on stereotypically masculine professions. The project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

Context

When choosing a career, girls often reject masculinized occupations (i.e. those in which there are more men than women, or are considered "masculine" in the social consciousness). This applies to both vocational and higher education. Girls do not take these occupations into account, despite the fact that they are in greater demand on the labour market and are associated with better wages, as research shows.

This is due to the stereotypes young women encounter from an early age. Their beliefs about their own abilities and predispositions (deepened by the formal education system) as well as the expectations laid on women to combine their careers with traditionally female responsibilities (running a home, raising children, caring for parents, etc.) restrict girls’ career choices considerably.

The JOIN THE GAME project aims to create a pedagogical tool in the form of an urban game that will allow girls to explore masculinized occupations and try new skills in a safe setting. It will provide an innovative approach to encourage girls to consider careers across the spectrum of occupations, regardless of existing stereotypes and increase their chances on the labour market.

Partners

The JOIN THE GAME project gathers 4 European partners:

This consortium has previously successfully collaborated on another European project (CROSSROADS).

Project deliverables

  1. Urban Adventure: JOIN THE GAME Guide and Safe Space Cheat Sheet
  2. Tailoring the Experience: Adapting JOIN THE GAME for Diverse Player Needs
  3. Mastering the Facilitator Role: Advanced Tips for an Engaging JOIN THE GAME Experience
  4. Visualizing the Adventure: AV Resources to Promote and Launch JOIN THE GAME