In 2025, the Erasmus+ project NEED – News Literacy on Board engaged educators, librarians, and cultural professionals across Europe through a series of multiplier events. Held in Bulgaria, Turkey, Serbia, and Slovenia, the events showcased innovative tools for strengthening critical thinking and news literacy skills through play.
The first multiplier event took place in Sofia on May 7, at the University of National and World Economy (UNWE), organized by Nikanor. Educators, librarians, and adult learning professionals joined a full-day program that featured an overview of the NEED project, a presentation on combating disinformation, and a live demonstration of the project’s outputs: two educational board games and an interactive online platform. The highlight was an interactive gaming session, where participants experienced firsthand how play can be used to foster news literacy in both formal and non-formal education.
On June 13, the Belgrade City Library welcomed more than 50 librarians, educators, and cultural professionals from Serbia and the wider region, including Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The event introduced the project’s key results: two board games, a digital knowledge base, and the project website. Participants had a chance to try out the educational board games, access a digital knowledge base, and learn how to use these tools in their own institutions.
Just two weeks later, on June 27, Hacettepe University in Ankara hosted Turkey’s multiplier event, which brought together 31 participants for a full-day program. The morning sessions featured expert presentations on the changing media environment, algorithms and misinformation, and verification tools. In the afternoon, the NEED project was presented in detail, followed by lively board game sessions where participants explored the educational potential of game-based learning.
The series concluded in Slovenia on September 9, with the final multiplier event organized by Adult Education Center UPI Žalec. Around 30 stakeholders, educators, and regional representatives took part in this event, where they reviewed the project’s main findings, reflected on the role of gamification in education, and tested the board games developed through the project. The event highlighted the strong potential for integrating game-based learning into schools, libraries, and lifelong learning programs, reinforcing the project’s sustainability and impact.
In total, the four multiplier events gathered more than 140 participants. While this number already demonstrates strong engagement, the true impact extends much further. Each participant represents an institution, community, or professional network where the tools and ideas from the NEED project can be shared, adapted, and applied. By carrying their experience back to their institutions, participants will multiply the effect of the events and ensure that the project’s legacy continues to grow across Europe.
Looking ahead, the NEED project offers a model for how game-based learning can reshape education and community engagement. Its results provide not only practical resources for strengthening news literacy but also inspiration for future projects, partnerships, and policy initiatives that aim to equip citizens with the critical skills needed in today’s complex media environment. Most importantly, the collaboration between partners from Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey, and Bulgaria demonstrates the power of cross-country cooperation in addressing shared challenges and building stronger, more informed societies.