Creativity and collaboration are making climate education more accessible

Traditional educational methods often struggle to facilitate the deep engagement required for real-world problem-solving in consequential areas like climate change. 

This is a reality Katie (Qidi) Zhu and her former colleagues at the global sustainability consultancy Enviroally know all too well. That’s why they developed two strategic, immersive, and collaborative board games to teach laypeople about sustainability challenges and the role decisions play in mitigating risk.

Zhu, a graduate of Indiana University, currently works for the city of Fort Wayne. A defining career moment was being named one of the United Nations’ Local Pathways Fellows (LPF) in 2023. She joined a network of young thought leaders, urban planners, sustainability advocates, researchers, and innovators from more than 50 cities across the world. The purpose was to advance local dialogue, collaboration, and problem-solving around the Sustainable Development Goals and to make cities and urban settlements “smart, fair and sustainable.”

The IU alum has since left Enviroally, but her colleagues around the world continue this important work. The company’s mission is to provide businesses and communities with interdisciplinary gamified educational tools, climate risk consultation, and actionable solutions that foster dialogue and collaboration.

“We want something immersive, fun and interactive and… not lecturing,” Zhu says. 

This philosophy colored the development of Enviroally’s projects, which are designed not just as pastimes but as practical resources for communities. As Zhu explains, “Our goal is to create a series of educational toolkits for stakeholders to use.” The company’s educational products and services are steeped in creativity, interactivity, and cultural meaning.

To that end, she sought to bridge the knowledge gap by working with her peers at Enviroally to bring the board games Planet-E and Pacific Climate Adventures to fruition. Planet-E challenges players to collaborate to achieve various urban development goals, while simultaneously considering the balance of ecological values, economic growth, and the climate crisis. Pacific Climate Adventures is a light strategy, cooperative board game designed for teens and adults. Each player assumes the role of a character endowed with unique abilities.

According to Zhu, the latter directly addresses the immediate threats facing vulnerable communities. For example, instead of presenting dry statistics about rising waters, the game places players in the heart of the narrative. 

“Through [playing] Pacific Climate Adventures, we want our audiences to understand the crisis happening with sea level rise,” she says.

By simulating these critical scenarios, the game allows players to internalize the gravity of the situation in a way that traditional media often cannot. Zhu explains that Enviroally’s approach was rooted in an intentional desire to move beyond passive consumption of information. Case in point: In June 2025, the company was invited by the Institute WUT-AMU at Wuhan University of Technology to facilitate a French–Chinese bilingual, climate change-themed workshop for undergraduate students. This was the second year that the French version of Planet-E was incorporated into their summer program.

Beyond real-world relevance, Zhu says the concept of co-creation was at the forefront when designing the games. She believes that the most effective educational tools are those that invite diverse perspectives into the mix. This inclusivity enriches the content and broadens its relevance. 

“It’s a great opportunity for us to work with authors around the world to learn about their opinions and [encounter] their case studies [related to] how they’re greening their communities,” she says.

By breaking down the walls between creator and user, Zhu hopes players will experience a sense of shared ownership and innovation. 

“We’re looking forward to more participants involved in co-creation, because co-creation is what we see breaking boundaries,” she says.

The ultimate objective of these games is to prompt dialogue and encourage collective action. Zhu sees these tools as catalysts for important conversations that might otherwise not happen. 

“We want people to sit down and talk about [climate issues],” she says. 

Furthermore, the gameplay mechanics are intentionally designed to discourage individualism in favor of group success. In her estimation, this setup mirrors the cooperation required to solve actual climate challenges.

“You have to work together and really watch out for each other,” she says. “You might be selfish and achieve your own personal goal, but you’ll fail your whole team. That’s not an ideal situation. We want you to win as a team. This is one message we want people to [internalize with our] approach.”

Whether it’s by playing one of Enviroally’s board games or another educational pursuit, Zhu says curiosity and growth should be constant companions.

“Learning is boundless, and it should be lifelong. [You should] never want to stop learning or being curious…. You can always learn something new.”