DUSRC Researchers and Staff, Melissa Chernick, Nishad Jayasundara, Elizabeth Shapiro-Garza, Megan Hoert Hughes, Chiara Klein, and Emily Green showcase the new educational boardgame, Resilience, at the 2025 SCONCies Awards Gala, North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, NC
Photo credit: Anthony Garza
Over the past two years, a group of DUSRC scientists, staff, and trainees have worked collaboratively to create and produce a new educational board game, Resilience. The tabletop game, designed for players age 10 and up, helps communities better understand how environmental contamination can affect human and ecosystem health and how science can be used to respond.
This Fall, Resilience was nominated for a “SCONCie” award through the Science Communicators of North Carolina (SCONC) and, on October 10, 2025, members of the team attended the Science Communicators of North Carolina annual awards ceremony. While the game did not win an award this year, it was fantastic to share the game with the SCONC network and support other science communicators in the Triangle.
Designed by a multidisciplinary team of DUSRC ecotoxicologists and research translation specialists and pilot tested by community partners, the game challenges players to work together to build and protect resilient environments from threats such as chemical pollution, extreme weather, and natural disasters.
Throughout the game, players place species cards to build ecosystems, respond to real-world hazards, and recruit scientific professionals with the expertise to remediate the ecosystems. Each round offers new challenges tied to environmental health and ecotoxicology topics and encourages critical thinking, teamwork, and scientific literacy. By the end of gameplay, players will have a better understanding of NC ecosystems, ecological interdependence, what makes ecosystems resilient, and the role science plays in addressing environmental hazards.
In addition to the game itself, the team is developing complementary educational materials, including:
- Pre- and post-game activities aligned with NC learning objectives
- A comprehensive facilitator’s guide and teacher training resources
- A series of Meet-a-Scientist videos featuring scientists from the game
The game will be shared widely through partnerships with local institutions focused on STEM education, including the Durham Museum of Life and Science, the Center for Inquiry-Based Learning, Durham Public Schools, GLOW Academy, and the Young Scientist Academy.
Members of the Resilience creative team, Nishad Jayasundara, Melissa Chernick, Chiara Klein, and Emily Green.
Photo credit: Anthony Garza
