The Belonging Game

About

Developed at the University of Exeter (UoE), it responded to staff-identified concerns about belonging among minoritised students. Six paid student interns co-designed the game, testing and refining questions to ensure they supported inclusive and authentic conversations. Approximately 30 students piloted the prototype, and student groups have since used it within Exeter Grand Challenges projects over two years to build belonging across cohorts. Supported by UoE Education Discovery and Open Innovation Translational Grants, the game was developed into a scalable resource with Focus Games. The game has engaged over 700 students, been embedded in teaching across multiple UoE departments, used at six UK universities, and sold over 300 units across five countries.

Top 3 learnings

1. We learned meaningful student connection requires intentional design, not informal interaction alone.
2. We learned co-creation with students significantly improves relevance, engagement, and impact.
3. We learned flexible, low-barrier activities can increase participation and student belonging.

What would it mean to win? 

Winning a Green Gown Award would be a powerful external validation to the University of Exeter, representing the highest external recognition that student engagement can be a genuine and powerful driver of social sustainability in higher education. The Belonging Game was born from a single student's experience of isolation. That it has grown into a commercially launched, nationally adopted, and internationally recognised initiative is a testament to what becomes possible when institutions place students at the heart of solution design. An award of this standing would validate that approach, reinforcing the University's strategic commitment to inclusive education, student wellbeing, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Institutionally, it would strengthen Exeter's visibility as a sector leader in embedding belonging and inclusive practice within higher education, demonstrating how collaborative, student-centred co-creation can meaningfully enhance retention, sense of community, and academic success. It would inspire colleagues across the institution to adopt similarly ambitious and impact-driven approaches to student engagement. For the student interns whose lived experiences and creativity shaped every aspect of the game, it would represent recognition that their contribution has made a lasting and celebrated difference. For the wider sector, the platform an award provides would accelerate adoption of this evidence-based approach to belonging at a moment when inclusion, equity, and the awarding gap have never been more urgent priorities. Ultimately, winning would not simply honour what has been achieved. It would fuel what comes next.

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)