Ghana’s Eco Games has launched Africa’s first interschool climate-action championships, using innovative educational games to teach students about the environment and turn learning into real community projects, from tree planting to waste reduction, inspiring youth-led climate action.

A Ghanaian innovation is set to transform how young people learn about climate change, and it all begins with games.  

Eco Games Foundation, a homegrown environmental education initiative, has officially launched Africa’s first-ever interschool climate-action games championship. This marks a major leap in how the continent engages students in environmental protection and sustainability.

The idea came from Ghanaian innovator Amanda Kporwofa, founder of the Eco Games Foundation, who began with a simple question: How do we teach the next generation to care about the environment in ways that truly connect with them?

The answer is now moving beyond the shores of Ghana to become a continental movement, one that blends fun, learning, and real-world climate action.

A Ghanaian Innovation With a Continental Vision

Eco Games Foundation started by developing ATi, Africa’s first deforestation board game, and Ghana’s first deforestation mobile game. The goal was to help children understand complex environmental issues, like deforestation, plastic waste, and clean cooking, in ways that are relatable, exciting, and easy to grasp.

Now, with the launch of the EcoGames Championships, that idea has evolved into something bigger, which is a platform where schools across the country, and eventually Africa, compete, learn, and take action.

What Makes the Championships Different

This is not just a competition. It’s a blueprint for climate education in Africa. Each year, the championships will center on a pressing environmental theme such as Tree planting, Zero waste, Clean energy, Illegal mining, and Plastic pollution

Students will participate in games designed around these themes, earning points through strategy, teamwork, and environmental knowledge. But the innovation goes beyond the games.

“This championship represents Africa’s first interschool climate-action game competition, designed to inspire environmental stewardship through play. Each year, the Championships will center on a specific environmental theme such as tree planting, zero waste, illegal mining, or clean energy,” the commercial advisor of Eco Games Foundation announced at the launch.

Learning That Translates Into Real Action

According to the Commercial Advisor of Eco Games Foundation, Kwaku Ofosuhene, winners do not simply walk away with trophies. They walk away with missions.

A tree-planting year means schools must establish green spaces in their communities. A plastic-waste theme means champions will lead cleanups, recycling drives, and awareness campaigns. Every game played inspires an action carried out in real life.

This approach makes the championships more than a fun competition; it makes them a breeding ground for young climate leaders.

“We are excited to be the trailblazers, the first to launch an interschool climate-action games competition in Africa. This initiative is a testament that climate solutions can and must be born from Africa, driven by our creativity, our communities, and our classrooms,” he said.

He added, “Through the EcoGames Championships, we are nurturing a generation that learns to protect the environment not through fear, but through fun and purpose.”

Why This Matters for Ghana and Africa

Climate education in many countries is still mostly theoretical, leaving young people aware of the challenges but unsure of how to help. Eco Games, through this initiative, is shifting that narrative.

By merging play with purpose, the initiative builds confidence, environmental awareness, and community spirit among students. It also empowers schools to lead climate projects in their own neighborhoods, planting trees, reducing waste, and promoting sustainability.

And at the core of it, it is African-made, offering climate solutions rooted in the creativity and lived experiences of African communities.

Eco Games Foundation is inviting government ministries, private institutions, non-profit organizations, educators, and community leaders to collaborate and expand the championships across basic, junior high, and senior high schools nationwide.