Category: News

Education about misinformation is crucial for all age groups, but the most important time to start is with children and youth.

This was the central idea for the collaboration between Društvo Pina, the Central Library of Srečko Vilhar and the fact-checking organisation Oštro. The product is a deck of playing cards that can be used to play the popular game Uno, but with a twist.

Each of the playing cards contains an example of actual misinformation shared in media and social media across Slovenia. Many of these examples are well-known and shared between young and old, and it was for that reason that Manca Šetinc Vernik, one of the project leaders from Oštro, decided to use the opportunity to spread awareness: “We wanted an innovative way of sharing our knowledge with the younger generation.”

Using the cards as a didactic tool allows educators at Pina to tackle the problematic use of stereotypes, clickbait strategies and sensationalist headlines that are present in the everyday life of most (young) people. What happens when a viral social media post everybody in class has seen is revealed as an AI-generated image? This is a learning moment valuable to every educator: Why did someone post this? What was their intent? What steps should I take to not get fooled again?

The first event the cards were presented at was the annual Infoverzum, a national gathering organized by the Central Library of Srečko Vilhar, dedicated to the promotion of media and information literacy. Due to an overwhelming response, the cards were sent out to many libraries in Slovenia. Public and school librarians were also trained in how to use the cards in a workshop for their users, with prerecorded videos readily available for all interested parties.

The small-scale national project has by now been featured in many articles related to media and information literacy across the country. “One of the biggest impacts a project can have,” reports Vid Sever, a trainer working at Pina, “is the fact that many workshop participants say that they’ve seen and played with Fulfejk cards even before the workshop properly begins. They can’t wait to tell us their own experiences with misinformation, and the ways they are protecting themselves from it, with many fruitful discussions and strategies on how to safely scroll beginning in the best way, by simply playing a game of cards.”

ESC-MISINFO is an Erasmus+ project (2025–2027) that helps public libraries support young people in building critical thinking skills around misinformation and disinformation, with a particular focus on climate change. Working across Belgium, Poland and Slovenia, and with the University of Washington, it uses game-based learning to open up conversations with young people about how information is manipulated online.

At its heart are nine public libraries — three in each country — that bring these games and activities directly to young people. Throughout 2026, each library runs sessions of the two localised escape games, Euphorigen Investigation and Chronoshift, with groups aged 15–30, and later takes part in co-creation workshops where young people help design a new game on climate change misinformation. At every library, two staff members are trained to run the games and facilitate the discussions that follow. What the libraries learn along the way feeds back into the ESC-MISINFO toolkit and the resources shared with libraries across Europe.

Here are the libraries taking part, country by country.

Belgium

Muntpunt, Brussels
The Flemish metropolitan library in the heart of Brussels — an information centre for everyone who wants to live, work or study in the city, and a meeting point, with a rich multilingual collection. It welcomes everyone in this multilingual capital, hosting a busy programme of activities, events and exhibitions and drawing many young people to its spaces. It also hosts the project’s peer-learning event, bringing partners and pilot libraries together.

Municipal Library Beringen
A modern cultural and social hub, strongly committed to digital inclusion. It believes it is important to help young people deal critically with the flood of information that comes their way every day. Together with local schools, it hopes to build a society in which young people and adults are better equipped to deal with disinformation. It also sees real added value in working with libraries from other European countries, to exchange experiences and best practices and strengthen its work on information literacy.

Ternat Public Library
A small Flemish Brabant library with big ambitions, Ternat is a modern knowledge and meeting centre for all ages that builds digital and critical thinking skills through its Digipunt, games, talks and heritage projects. As the library puts it, misinformation doesn’t stop at the borders of major cities, so Ternat proudly puts its weight behind the project, hoping to arm its patrons against fake news so that it doesn’t have to remain the problem it is today.

Poland

City Public Library Dąbrowa Górnicza
A modern cultural institution made up of a Main Library and 17 branches, developing along the lines of the “third place” concept. Alongside extensive collections and access to several e-book and digital media platforms, it offers modern services such as around-the-clock book lockers. The library runs a wide range of reading, educational and community projects, and is actively developing sustainability initiatives through its GREENovations programme. In 2026 it was among the highest-rated cultural institutions in the programmes of the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

Municipal Library Bytów
A local-government cultural institution that also serves as the county library, housed in a 14th-century Teutonic castle. It runs a rich programme of author meetings, exhibitions, competitions, a Discussion Book Club and grant-funded projects. It also builds residents’ digital and information skills, running digital training for older people and library lessons for schoolchildren. The library already has experience organising both outdoor and library-based games that use digital technology to make learning more engaging.

Municipal Library Nowe Miasto nad Wartą
A local centre for culture, education and information serving its whole municipality, with even a Tourist Information Point. The library delivers grant-funded projects supported by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and runs Discussion Book Clubs and the “Doliwa” local history club. It actively develops the community’s digital and information skills, taking part in FRSI’s Library Development Programme and Academy. The library also brings experience with educational games, including virtual quests.

Slovenia

Public Library Koper
The central regional library of Slovenian Istria, housed in a baroque palace. It provides professional support to libraries across the region and gives local residents access to a rich collection of materials, resources and services. It works mainly with public libraries throughout Slovenia, NGOs and other institutions promoting reading culture and media and digital literacy. It joined the project because of its strong focus on media literacy and the identification of disinformation, one of the key areas in which it has extensive expertise and long-term experience.

Ljubljana City Library
The largest general library in Slovenia, with a wide network of branches, a mobile service and a rich programme of free events for all ages. It cooperates with a wide range of partners — from the public institutions of the Municipality of Ljubljana to NGOs, youth organisations and individuals. The library became a partner because it was drawn to the escape room idea, both as an addition to its programme and as a carrier of an important message for young and old alike.

Kranj City Library
The central regional library for the Gorenjska region. It works with institutions at local, national and international level — from schools, kindergartens and day centres for people with disabilities, to other public libraries and European partners — and is a proud member of PL2030’s Lighthouse Libraries network. It joined the project because media literacy is critically important, especially for young people who often assume that whatever they read is credible, and because escape games are an innovative way to open up the topic.

What connects them is a shared belief that libraries are the right place to help young people navigate today’s information landscape. Stay tuned to follow their journey!

We’re happy to share a new resource from the ESC-MISINFO project: the MIL Games Collection.

The collection brings together a selection of media and information literacy (MIL) games that libraries, educators and youth workers can use when planning activities with young people. For each game it offers the practical information a facilitator needs at a glance: format, game type, languages, duration, number of players, age group, difficulty, topic, learning outcomes and where to find guidance materials.

The games are grouped by format — choice-based simulations, quiz games, board and card games, and escape games — with an additional section highlighting games created within EU-funded projects. An at-a-glance overview table and a short glossary of key terms round out the document, making it easy to browse and to pick the game that best fits a given group, setting and available resources.

The collection is conceived as an annex to the ESC-MISINFO Toolkit, which contains the broader pedagogical framework, general facilitation guidelines and detailed debrief techniques. The two are designed to work together: the Toolkit explains how to facilitate game-based learning, while the collection shows what games you can use and where to start. That said, the collection can also be read on its own, as a discovery and planning tool for anyone looking to bring game-based media literacy into their programming.

Download the MIL Games Collection here → https://esc-misinfo.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/games-collection-ESC-MISINFO.pdf

We’re happy to share a key resource from the ESC-MISINFO project: the Toolkit for librarians, youth workers and educators.

The Toolkit is a practical, open resource for running game-based media and information literacy (MIL) activities with young people in non-formal learning settings. It brings together the pedagogical framework and the hands-on guidance libraries need to bring these activities to life, built on the conviction that libraries – as trusted, free and inclusive spaces – are uniquely placed to help young people develop critical thinking skills.

The document is organised in three main parts. An introduction sets the context around media literacy for young people, non-formal education and gamification. A chapter on facilitation explains the facilitator’s role and presents ten facilitation methods. The core chapter then pairs seven MIL games with a ready-made, step-by-step debrief activity for each, so facilitators can pick a game, prepare the space and run a memorable session from start to finish. A section on further EU-funded MIL resources and a glossary round out the document.

The Toolkit can be used on its own or alongside the Games Collection, its annex, which offers a wider, browsable catalogue of MIL games to inspire activity planning. Together, the two work hand in hand: the Toolkit explains how to facilitate game-based learning, while the collection shows what games you can draw on.

Download the ESC-MISINFO Toolkit here → https://esc-misinfo.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/esc-misinfo-toolkit.pdf

What is gamification and why does it work? How can we use games and puzzles to address current issues as part of the library’s educational activities? Watch the recording of the webinar, which took place on 19 February 2026 as part of our project.

This was the second in a series of four webinars organised as part of the ESC-MISINFO project, in which we focus on developing young people’s information and media literacy using escape room-style games.

During the session, we discussed, amongst other things:

• types of games,
• how people play and how this knowledge can be applied in library work,
• gamification as a method used in education, outreach and promotion,
• escape rooms (their characteristics, variations, advantages and limitations),
• how to prepare and run a game session.

Our expert was Marcin Mitzner – programme director at the Ale Granda creative agency, a trainer and creator of educational games.

Chris Coward was also our guest – expert and researcher at the University of Washington, co-founder of the interdisciplinary Center for an Informed Public.

Watch the recording here.

In October of last year, we held the first episode of the ESC-MISINFO webinar series: ‘Before you hit play: How to recognise and respond to fake content online’.

If you missed it or want to watch it again, its full recording is available on Youtube. For more written content, you can also download the powerpoint of the presentation.

Find more information about the content in the related article below on the news page.

Resources

• Watch the recording of the episode on Youtube (1h)
• Download the powerpoint of the episode

How games, including escape room games, can support the development of critical thinking and information literacy for young people, especially in the context of disinformation ?

When and how?

The webinar will take place on Thursday February 19, from 11.00-12.00 CEST on Zoom. The webinar will take place in English, with the live translated subtitles, when available. Participation is free of charge, but registration is required.

For whom ?

We invite librarians and all those involved in information and media education, especially those who work with young people and want to expand their activities by introducing gamification and games.

What will we talk about ?

The webinar will cover two main subjects: games in general and the more specific example of escape games.

In the first instance, we will try to cover the basics about games:

• the different types of games that exist and a bit of history about games;
• how society plays and what is worth taking from this knowledge into professional practice;
• gamification as a working method and areas of application (education, animation and promotion).

Then, we will discuss the topic of escape games:

• its characteristics, variants, limitations and strengths of the format;
• examples of application from the project and beyond;
• practical tips on how to use them in non-formal education.
  

This webinar is organised by the Information Society Development Foundation (FRSI) and hosted by Agnieszka Koszowska – project coordinator at the FRSI and a member of the ESC-MISINFO project’s team.

This second episode of the series will be joined by two experts:

• Marcin Mitzner, expert on games at Fundacja FRSI
• and Chris Coward, expert in media literacy and misinformation from Center for an Informed Public at UW

How to register?

To attend the webinar, please register in advance at: https://forms.office.com/e/xGhSiB7mFV

Registration for events will close at 08:30 CEST on the day of the event.

The link to the webinar will be sent shortly after the registration, no later than two hours before the event, along with instructions on how to use the Zoom Webinar platform and access live translated subtitles.

If you do not receive a message with the link:

• check your spam folder, or

• contact Agnieszka Koszowska (agnieszka.koszowska@frsi.org.pl) 

Misinformation is not a uniform challenge that can be addressed in the same manner everywhere. Efforts to combat misinformation, such as games for supporting the public navigate an increasingly complex information environment, should be tailored to people’s contexts and lived experiences.

What is localisation? 

Localisation is a critical process for ensuring a product or service is relevant, appealing, and legally compliant across different countries. In the case of games, this typically involves such activities as translation, adapting visuals, and modifying cultural references, among others. Escape rooms are interactive, team-based games in which a group of players work together to solve puzzles and other challenges to achieve a particular goal related to the game’s overall story. In ESC-MISINFO, we are going beyond the typical steps in the localisation of the project’s two escape room games by adapting the game stories as well. 

The first game, the Euphorigen Investigation, created by the Center for an Informed Public at the University of Washington (CIP/UW), revolves around the story of a brain-boosting supplement and the government’s plans to introduce it into the public water supply. The goal of the game is to determine if Euphorigen is safe or not by navigating misleading headlines, manipulated evidence, social media bots, and deepfake images and videos. 

Why go to the trouble of changing the story? 

When designing the game in the US context, CIP/UW focused the story on whether the government could be trusted, a decision they knew would trigger feelings of suspicion among the players that would lead them to doubt evidence suggesting the product might actually be safe. This initial distrust is important for the game’s learning goals. But countries have differing levels of trust in government, and there can be more appropriate and appealing actors to create this sense of suspicion (and in some places it might not be appropriate to cast doubt on government actions, even in a game). 

For this reason, CIP/UW developed a localisation process that involves a set of structured codesign activities that allow teams in different countries to make significant changes to the overall game story. This results in games that share common game mechanics (e.g. the puzzles) but otherwise appear very different to the player. The new games can appear closely related to the original, or entirely different (e.g. Galaxy Challenge, also a Euphorigen adaptation, involves the story of a K-pop band and whether the management company is mistreating one of the band members). 

Localisation workshops in the ESC-MISINFO project 

The ESC-MISINFO project aims to create games that are highly relevant to local contexts in the three partner countries: Belgium (Flanders), Poland, and Slovenia. A first in-person localisation workshop was organised among project partners during the kick-off meeting to share knowledge and insight on the different ways misinformation manifests across different contexts and how the game narrative could be shaped to best appeal to the main target group: youth.

In a second step, Cultuurconnect, FRSI, and PiNA organised localisation workshops with public libraries each in their respective countries (Belgium, Poland, Slovenia), to further adapt the game’s narrative and elements and make it as relevant as possible for each country.

In Belgium, Cultuurconnect invited three public libraries to a one-day localisation workshop. All having extensive experience with youth in their libraries, they were able to estimate how they would react to the escape games: what should remain the same in the Belgian context, and what should be adapted? They concluded that the thematic focus of distrust in science is on point and extremely relevant in Belgian society today. As AI is becoming more and more prevalent, the public libraries agreed that the methods of deception in the game should mostly focus on the use of artificial intelligence.

In Slovenia, the one-day localisation workshop was very successful – the ten librarians warmly welcomed the concept of an escape room kit as a tool for promoting critical thinking and media literacy amongst their users. This motivated them to actively participate in the localisation process, adding Slovenian mountain folklore to the story of Euphorigen, which has been renamed ‘Focusin’ – a herbal remedy that might cause the downfall of one of Slovenia’s top cyclists. The libraries are sure the cycling spin will engage our Slovenian escape room users, as the sport is very popular nationally, providing additional motivation to investigate this potential doping scandal. They are all looking forward to testing the escape room kits, hoping the gamification methodology will draw even more people to their local libraries.

In Poland, the Information Society Development Foundation (FRSI) organised two online meetings with librarians from the three libraries participating in the project. During these meetings, they discussed the project and its objectives, as well as methods for conducting sessions for young people using escape room games. The libraries explored how to adapt the narrative to better reflect the needs and interests of young audiences in Poland. Together, they identified topics most commonly affected by disinformation encountered by young people. Various narrative ideas emerged, including modifying the theme and characters of the Euphorigen game. Ultimately, the decision was made to maintain a storyline similar to the original game, but with slightly adjusted characters; in the Polish version, the creator of the film the players are searching for is a YouTuber who popularises science. The libraries agreed that the game’s themes – the manipulation of scientific data and the use of artificial intelligence to create false content – are highly relevant and essential subjects for libraries’ educational activities.

How do you recognise fake content on the internet? What is the difference between disinformation and misinformation? Why do people believe fake news – and what can libraries do about it? Join us for the first of four webinars organised as part of the ‘Escape Misinformation in the Library’ (ESC-MISINFO) project.

When and how?

The webinar will take place on Friday October 24, from 11.00-12.00 CEST on Zoom. The webinar will take place in English, with the live translated subtitles, when available. Participation is free of charge, but registration is required.

For whom?

We invite librarians and all those involved in information and media education, especially those who work with young people and want to expand their activities by introducing gamification and games.

The webinar will cover the following topics:

• key concepts and terms related to misinformation and fake news,
• data on the scale of the phenomenon of false content and its sources,
• psychological and technological mechanisms that make people believe false information,
• deep fakes and tools for recognising them,
• simple methods for assessing the credibility of content that can be used in working with young people and the local community,
• actions that libraries can take to support users in critical thinking and conscious use of information.

The speaker will be Piotr Henzler – trainer, consultant, sociologist with over 15 years of experience in providing educational and advisory support to librarians. Author and implementer of training courses on critical thinking and information verification and evaluation for library teams, non-governmental organisations, academic staff, students and pupils. Author of the publication ‘Click. Check. Understand. How to use information consciously’.

The webinar is organised by the Information Society Development Foundation (FRSI) and hosted by Agnieszka Koszowska – project coordinator at the FRSI and a member of the ESC-MISINFO project’s team.

How to register?

To attend the webinar, please register in advance at: https://forms.office.com/e/B5E0jvViiF

Registration for events will close at 08:30 CEST on the day of the event.

The link to the webinar will be sent shortly after the registration, no later than two hours before the event, along with instructions on how to use the Zoom Webinar platform and access live translated subtitles.

If you do not receive a message with the link:

• check spam folder, or
• contact Agnieszka Koszowska (agnieszka.koszowska@frsi.org.pl)

May 2025 marked the launch of an exciting new Erasmus+ project, ESC-MISINFO (‘Escape misinformation in the library’), aiming to strengthen young Europeans’ critical thinking skills in navigating the digital media landscape, combating mis/disinformation, particularly related to climate change – all using game-based activities and co-creative practices. Lasting from 2025-2027, this project will also contribute to building capacities of public libraries in youth work.

ESC-MISINFO brings together five partners from four countries: Cultuurconnect (Belgium), Public Libraries 2030 (Belgium), FRSI (Poland), PiNA (Slovenia), and the Center for an Informed Public at the University of Washington (United States). Each partner brings its own area of expertise to the project, from youth engagement, to game-based learning, media literacy, and public library innovation.

In May, the consortium met in Brussels for the first in-person partner meeting to kick-off the project’s activities and plan ahead for the next two years. These will include escape room pilots, training and capacity building, co-creation and peer exchange, the development of toolkits and resources, as well as ongoing dissemination activities.

Taking place in Belgium, Slovenia, and Poland, ESC-MISINFO will engage a total of 180 young people in immersive, game-based learning about misinformation and climate change, and train 18 library staff to lead game-based MIL activities.

To stay up to date with the project news, follow ESC-MISINFO on Facebook or sign up to our newsletter!