Playful Learning: The Power of Gamification
Playful Learning: The Power of Gamification
Gamification applies game elements and principles in various contexts to enhance participation, motivation, and engagement. TeenSmart hopes to increase teenage platform usage and retention through gamification to reduce risky behaviors such as fights and violence, early alcohol consumption, and sedentary lifestyles and to improve mood, motivation, goal setting, and life projects.
It has been successful in sports and wellness apps, language learning platforms, and others. JovenSalud.net, TeenSmart’s free online platform for teenagers, has recently incorporated game elements to boost interaction with educational content on the site and mobile app!
This educational strategy uses scoring, rewards, and storytelling to create an attractive learning experience for youth while receiving appealing and pertinent content for them. JovenSalud´s users will now emerge on adventures and challenges, where they collect gems representing motivation, skills, and knowledge which will unlock badges and avatar accessories, all while utilizing JovenSalud’s services! This pilot phase focuses on emotional health care, sexual and reproductive health, and violence prevention.
TEENSMART BY NUMBERS
Celebrate with Us!
Youth recently used their voices to share their feelings and concerns and to spread the news of JovenSalud.net in their communities. This “Raise My Voice” digital marketing campaign on Facebook and Instagram encouraged Spanish-speaking youth to share videos about their challenges and dreams.
Challenges such as bullying, anxiety, depression, limited job opportunities, workplace discrimination, lack of understanding, and peer pressure affect them daily. JovenSalud.net provides youth with information, education, coaching and support in their journey of self-discovery. Thanks to this campaign, over 700 new young people registered to use jovensalud.net services in just one month!
We extend our gratitude to our allies, MINED in Nicaragua, and Pozuelo and Aurens companies in Costa Rica, for facilitating student tours. Also, those who have been sharing our campaign on social media: Fullbrands, Marina Pez Vela, Hospital Clínica Bíblica, and Fundación Carlos Slim. Our goal is to empower youth to raise their voices and make healthy decisions while meeting them where they are!
Take Action!
In June, we launched our annual fundraising campaign “SmartGive,” to support TeenSmart’s operations due to increased demand for our free services. We are thrilled that more young people are discovering JovenSalud.net on social media and raising their voices!
With your support, we raised USD $11,473, enabling us to continue providing quality services to Spanish-speaking youth. In 2022, we supported 16,800 young people, and within just six months this year, we welcomed 17,200 new users. Our goal is to reach USD $20,000 in fundraising by International Youth Day (August 12)!
Get Inspired!
Artificial intelligence is being used for good at TeenSmart! Young people now have access to immediate responses to their counseling and coaching inquiries through “Joy”, our friendly, value-based chatbot. JovenSalud´s users now have either the option of instant answers or a human response to their questions and concerns from a professional within 24 hours.
We thank Accenture Costa Rica for making this project a reality in collaboration with our IT and Content teams. Artificial intelligence enables our organization to grow and scale, with the vision of reaching 1 million adolescents by 2030, providing excellent online services and decision-making tools for their well-being.
Since Joy’s launch in February 2023, we have been evaluating acceptance, feasibility, usage, and satisfaction among young people. As of July 1, 2023, Joy has answered 3,522 inquiries with 90% of users expressing satisfaction. In addition, TeenSmart is also exploring generative artificial intelligence in education and health promotion while gaining valuable insights and exploring other innovative solutions and lessons learned. We want our users to test Joy and be amazed by its knowledge, sensitivity and its capacity to instantly providing the information they need!