Perfect for CAS or Duke of Edinburghʼs Award
Play for the Planet A Simple Guide to Getting Involved
Support and learn about the next generation of eco leaders in Ghana all while rediscovering the joy and power of play in your own community.
Fundraising during the Big Give Week (1st - 8th December) will be DOUBLED! Email Jennifer Mensah, Educational Partnerships Manager at jmensah@eduspots.org for further information or visit www.eduspots.org.
EduSpotsʼ recognitions:
From One LEGO Brick to a Global Learning Movement: EduSpotsʼ 10 Year Journey EduSpots began with one simple idea: communities creating the futures they want to see, through education - and all with students and local leaders in the driving seat. Children in schools across the world raised money brick by brick to build a LEGO library to support an active learning community in Abofour, Ghana. This small act of global teamwork helped local teachers and the Addae family achieve their aim of creating the first “Spot” - a community learning space filled with books, creative activities, and digital tools. One of the first leaders - ”Catalysts” - Gloria Addae, started an EduLit club where children developed literacy skills through play, including drama, games, dancing, storytelling, and riddles. This playful ethos spread across the network, with joy, humour, energisers and gamification suffused into all of EduSpots’ activities which reach 10,000 learners annually today across 52 learning Spots, led by over 400 local changemakers. And today in 2026, we want to launch a new Eco Leadership programme, involving 3000 learners across 50 communities, but need your support.
Ghana
I'm looking forward to working with changemakers across the EduSpots network and beyond to share our local climate education strategies, and co-create new ideas together.” Charles Macharia, Environmental Peer Mentor and Founder, Joska Spot
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From Learning to Action: EduSpotsʼ Environmental Education What your fundraising is igniting, through local student leadership in Ghana
Although Ghana's curriculum includes environmental education, many rural communities lack practical, locally relevant climate learning due to gaps in teacher training, curriculum implementation and community engagement. At the same time, local climate education organisations need stronger collaboration, resources and training to scale their impact. As climate challenges intensify, there is an urgent need to enable communities and educators to lead high-quality, locally driven climate education. This is EduSpots’ response:
EcoSTEM Clubs
Eco Leadership Programme
EduSpots’ EcoSTEM Clubs stretched across 20 communities in Ghana engage young people in practical learning that connects science, technology, engineering and mathematics with real-world environmental challenges. Through hands-on monthly challenges, learners explore themes such as renewable energy, waste management and biodiversity, developing creativity, problem-solving and teamwork skills.
The EduSpots Eco Leadership Programme will build the capacity of 40 adult Catalysts, and 40 EcoSparks in year 8 to lead environmental education and action in their schools and communities. Through training, mentorship and practical projects, learners explore themes including sustainable energy, plastics, biodiversity, eco-agriculture and tree planting, ahead of advocacy projects, community exhibitions and eco toolkits.
CECOP
EduSpots facilitates the nationwide Climate Education Community of Practice (CECOP) bringing together 20 NGOs through shared learning, collaboration and practical action. Through online collaboration on WhatsApp, Zoom and during in-person Summits, the CECOP community provides a space for participants to exchange ideas and co-create strategies for wider roll-out.
NB: Information sessions with the EduSpots’ team are available for those looking for an opportunity to do a deep dive into the environmental education context in rural Ghana!
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Your 6-Step Play for Play Quest!
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Build Your Team
Discover EduSpots & Play
Gather friends, students, colleagues, or family and create fun team names and roles!
Watch our launch video/animation (coming soon!) and explore how environmental education can make a difference in Ghana and beyond.
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Choose Your Challenge
Plan & Share
Keep reading for some playful ideas - or invent your own! Think games, sport, dancing, creativity, or teamwork, all aligned with an eco theme!
Get organised, spread the word, and make sure everyone knows how to join in, using our tools to help you.
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Play & Fundraise
Celebrate!
Take on your challenge, have fun, and help support environmental education through asking for donations to support EduSpots’ work.
Share your journey and learn about play with EduSpots, receive certificates and awards, and celebrate the impact you’ve made together.
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6 Playful Fundraising Possibilities Play Through Drama & Dance - Consider an Eco Theme
Play & Fundraise
Write and perform your own play and sell tickets to the audience.
Launch a (post-world cup inspired) six-a-side tournament and charge teams to enter!
Run a drama workshop or improv session for younger students focused on the planet
Host a teachers vs students volleyball, netball, or dodgeball match.
Organise a dance-off or your own version of Strictly Come Dancing!
Penalty Shoot-Out: can you beat the headteacher? Organise a colour run, fun run, or obstacle course challenge.
Host an earth-themed Silent Disco packed with music and dancing
Play Through Music
Play Through Games
Organise a music “play-off” with bands, singers, DJs, or choirs.
Organise a board games café or Twister competition.
Host a ticketed concert with an eco-theme: ‘Play for the Planet’
Host a quiz night using an eco-themed Kahoot or other online games.
Try a Playathon - how long can you keep the music going?
Create your own miniOlympics with fun team challenges.
Launch a Lip Sync Battle or Karaoke Challenge.
Launch an eco treasure hunt outside or escaperoom-style adventure.
Set up student busking spots around the school at break or lunchtime.
Play Through Creativity Organise a recycled fashion show and charge for tickets or entries. Create a playful building challenge, like cardboard towers or marble runs. Host a LEGO creation competition, linked to the environment Launch a bake-off or cake decorating challenge with an eco theme
Or create your own playful eco innovation!
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The Transformative Impact of Your Fundraising Supporting the Next Generation of Climate Leaders Every game played, challenge completed, and donation raised helps expand access to joyful, community-led learning.
The Impact Your Fundraising Could Have
£25
Doubled to
£50
funds a wifi kit, to enable a community to access online learning
£75
Doubled to
£150
funds a learners’ place in a residential eco-training Academy
£100
Doubled to
£200
can fund a high quality tablet to access learning resources and eco Apps
£500
Doubled to
£1000
enables a community to install solar power for sustainable and consistent electricity.
£2500
Doubled to
enables us to fund an EcoSTEM Coordinator for one year sharing transformative learning opportunities.
£5000
Double Your Impact with The Big Give Donations made through the Big Give Campaign between 1st–8th December 2026 will be doubled, meaning your support can go twice as far. If donating outside the campaign week, supporters can still give through our Raisely page or via bank transfer.
ONE BIG GOAL
Together, we are aiming to raise £150,000 over the next year to help 50 more community-led Spots join the EduSpots network.
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SCAN TO DONATE
Step 5: Celebrations & Awards In EduSpots we love celebrating innovation and engagement, which is a key part of our approach to working with local volunteers across 50 Spot communities!
Awards will be given across 4 areas:
Eco Impact Champions
The Playmaker Prize
(most funds raised for EduSpots)
(most joy created through play!)
The Creativity Champion Award
The Teamwork Award
(most innovative idea)
(for working collaborative, or in partnership)
We will award across these groups, alongside choosing one overall winner of the
‘The Ultimate Play for the Planet Champions Awardʼ 2026!
KG - Primary
Secondary 7-11
Sixth Form
University teams
Community groups
Corporate teams
All participants will receive certificates which will be posted to your school, alongside feedback and an invitation to an online celebration event with judges.
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Meet some of the Judges! In EduSpots, playful and positive feedback is central to our culture. All entries in the Play for Play challenge will receive feedback from our judges!
Emmanuel Konam
Cat Davison
Emmanuel Konam is a Ghanabased development professional working at the intersection of environmental education, youth development, and digital transformation. He has experience in digital skills training, facilitation, and youth engagement, supporting programmes that equip young people with practical skills in technology, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving. His interests include education, climate resilience, technology, sustainability, and grassroots development, with a focus on locally driven solutions, environmental awareness, and community-led learning.
Cat is the Founder & CEO of EduSpots, with 11 years of experience in leading a growing network of educational changemakers through playful education approaches. Cat is a huge sports fan herself, with a decade of sports coaching and teaching experience, feeling most at home on the hockey pitch. She was recognised as a $1 million Global Teacher Prize finalist and is a 2025 UNESCO Youth for Peace Young Leader.
Adu Boahen Carlos
Emeritus Professor
Gloria Agyemang
Adu was one of the first learners whose passion for education and love of sudukus led to EduSpots being created over a decade ago. Having established a strong Spot team in Akumadan, famous for its ‘EduFun’ events and previous Spot of the Year, Adu is now the Learning Spot Officer in Elmina, where fishing, football and board games often come together in equal priority!
Emeritus Professor Gloria Agyemang is the Chair of EduSpots’ Global Board of Trustees, a group of committed champions behind EduSpots’ evolving work. She was the first black woman to lead a business school in the UK, taking on the role of Executive Dean of the School of Business and Management at Royal Holloway, and loves playing games and reading with her grandchildren, alongside mentoring future leaders.
EduSpots doesnʼt just provide resources; they ignited a culture of learning, collaboration and leadership that changed my life.” — Abdul-Raheem, learner now Catalyst, Sakasaka Spot
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Will you join us in building #OurCollectiveFuture through Play for the Planet?
Email Jennifer Mensah, Educational Partnerships Manager, jmensah@eduspots.org for further information
www.eduspots.org
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