This Website Is An Archive, As Of October 2024.

The Engagement Lab at Emerson College has closed its doors. Read the report detailing the ELab’s final chapter, read testimonials from our extended community, or dismiss this message to explore the archive.




Act to Adapt

2017 - 2017

Y.adapt logo

Act to Adapt is a giant board game during which players on the ‘community team’ have to prioritize vulnerable community resources and take collective or individual actions to protect them from the ‘hazard team.’ Players on the hazard team represent specific extreme weather events relevant to the community, which become more intense and frequent each round. 




About the Project

Problem Space

The average temperature around the world is rising, and 2001–2010 was the warmest decade on record. The main reason the climate is changing is because. people are adding greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere. The most important greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide, which is released whenever people burn fossil fuels to do everyday activities like driving cars, heating buildings, and making electricity. As greenhouse gasses build up in the atmosphere, they cause the Earth to trap extra heat, making the planet warmer.

Proposed Intervention

Y-Adapt is a curriculum consisting of games and playful activities that create real world action around climate change. These actions are local interventions that reduce the impacts of severe weather related events. These can be rapid onset events -such as heavy rain leading to flooding- or slow onset events - such as extreme heat leading to drought. Y-Adapt is the product of a collaboration between the Engagement Lab, PLAN International, the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, the Philippines Red Cross, and PLAN Philippines.

Social Impact

How Y-Adapt creates real-world change: Knowledge and Sharing - Young people learn about climate change and are able to share this with their community. They learn about how climate change may impact their communities and about what they can do to reduce this impact. Community – Young people work with their local community and also become part of a global community of players. Action – Young people are motivated to work together and learn how they can support their communities to implement adaptation solutions.