Dordt University’s Perennial project receives REAP education grant

In response to a growing need for long-term environmental education in Iowa, Dordt University has been awarded a REAP Education Grant. This grant will enable the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to assist Dordt in expanding the use and distribution of innovative, game-based environmental education resources across Iowa classrooms and public libraries.

In the summer of 2024, Dr. Jeff Ploegstra, dean for foundational and health sciences and professor of biology at Dordt University, collaborated with alumni Emma Nydam (’25) and Kaeley Meyer (’26), along with Brittany De Ruyter, instructor of environmental studies, and Dr. Brad Hickey, director of gaming, to develop Perennial—a board game in which players take turns establishing diverse and visually rich plant communities while also responding to real-world ecological restoration challenges. Each player assumes the role of a prairie specialist with unique abilities, using those strengths to address restoration scenarios and environmental constraints. To succeed, players must complete diversity challenges to earn points and build a thriving, ecologically diverse landscape.

“The Tall-grass Prairie is filled with beauty and interest, but its scarcity means most people will never see it,” says Ploegstra. “We hoped by bringing a bit of the beauty and complexity of the prairie to students, we could tap into their curiosity and imagination—nudge them into going and experiencing the real thing.”

With support from the REAP Education Grant, classroom sets of the game—along with supplemental instructional materials such as flash cards, posters, and slide decks—will be distributed to schools and libraries throughout Iowa. Ultimately, this project aims to strengthen ecological literacy and deepen understanding of conservation challenges through game-based learning, while also addressing the need for accessible instructional resources and professional development in foundational ecological concepts.

According to the grant proposal, studies show that “many Iowa teachers lack engaging, locally adapted, classroom-ready tools essential to exploring the value of native plant diversity and ecological stewardship.”

“The Perennial Project addresses these gaps by providing an interactive, classroom-ready game that fosters ecological fluency and systems thinking,” explains Ploegstra. “Modeled after the tallgrass prairie ecosystem that historically covered most of Iowa and helped build its rich topsoil, the game helps students connect with the state’s natural history and fosters responsibility for restoration, conservation, and sustainable agriculture. The Perennial Project will expand the impact of traditional curricula and provide a classroom-based platform to motivate all students to ‘opt-in’ to the outdoors.”

The project team plans to submit a single production request in late November, with the goal of placing games in classrooms by spring. Ploegstra will also offer virtual and in-person workshops throughout the spring to help educators integrate the game into classroom instruction.

To learn more about the game or receive updates when pre-orders are available, please email perennial@dordt.edu.

About Dordt University

As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by U.S. News and World Report, the Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.