The Pedagogy of Games was an experimental program in critical pedagogy that co-developed a method for collective creation with three groups of youth from harsh neighborhoods.
It was successful in developing a methodology which I now use to facilitate workshops with adults, activists, teachers and university students. It proved particularly fruitful in empowering social workers and activists -people sensitive to harshpolitical social realities- to reclaim the challenges, playfulness, empathy and inspiration that initially drew them to social issues.

2019-present

How can social practice create experiences of alternative learning and thinking?

Sanaa sharing deep reflections on collaboration, which emerged as a foundational element of the method, during a session of Pedagogy of Games at Hermel Center for Youth, Sports & Culture

Pedagogy of Games session with youth in Tripoli, at Sada Headquarters, 2022

“Playing Across Differences” (in collaboration w/Andrew Purchin LCSW) invited Jewish and Pro-Palestinian peace activists to face each other’s triggers and build resiliency through play. Participants writing down poetry in preparation of a collective poetry reading during Playing Across Differences at London Nelson Community Center, Santa Cruz 2025

What environments, structures and relations get free people to collaborate imaginatively and find collective synergy and creativity?
How can crisis be reclaimed as a source of play and collective creation?
What would we be capable of doing when empowered with our ability to self-organize, imagine and create?

PEDAGOGY OF GAMES

How can social practice create experiences of alternative learning and thinking?

Pedagogy of Games session with youth in Tripoli, at Sada Headquarters, 2022