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Royal Alberta Museum "Sustainable Societies" Outreach Initiative

Credits
  • Manager, Design, Production & Operations: Jem Pellerin
  • Graphic Design Lead: Heidi Hoflin
  • Graphic Production Technician: Sam Loewen
  • Media Producer: Mike Guthrie-Plouffe
  • Visitor Experience Researcher: Sean MacQueen
  • Learning Coordinator: Lisa Brett
  • Learning Facilitator: Danielle Klatchuk
  • Learning Coordinator: Kevin Farmer
Project Description

Sustainable Societies is an outreach initiative developed by the Royal Alberta Museum to engage Grade 3 to 5 students in exploring the relationship between human activity and the environment. The project aimed to create an accessible, curriculum-aligned learning tool that extends the Museum’s educational impact beyond its walls, with content grounded in Alberta’s natural resources and geographic diversity. The design team conceived a cooperative, Catan-inspired board game using resource management and negotiation mechanics to simulate real-world decision-making. 

Iterative prototyping and classroom playtesting informed a modular system with clear visuals, streamlined rules and integrated curriculum content to support accessibility and engagement. A French edition further expanded reach across Alberta’s diverse student population. The final product successfully balanced educational objectives with engaging gameplay, fostering collaboration, critical thinking and systems awareness. Playtesting showed high levels of student engagement and meaningful discussion, while the program expanded the Museum’s outreach capacity through a scalable and repeatable learning experience.