The Tower Game: An Innovative Approach to Teaching Project Management and Sustainability

The „Tower Game” is globally recognized as a practical and engaging method for teaching the core concepts of project management to young learners. Originally conceived by Lledó (PMIEF, 2014) under the auspices of the Project Management Institute Educational Foundation (PMI EF), the game simulates real-world project triple constraints, enabling participants to manage aspects such as scope, time, cost, quality, and risk in an experiential learning environment. Additionally, the game improved other activities by Borges (2024) enabling other very important skills like Power Skills abilities (PMI, 2025), technical project design and sustainability practices in project management (HUEMANN & SILVIUS, 2017).

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The “Futuro GP – Net Zero” project [Future PM – Net Zero], implemented by PMI Minas Gerais, represents a significant evolution of this methodology. It was structured around four central objectives:

1. Development of a formal project plan: Prior to the execution of the Tower Game, the project team guided the students through the creation of a simplified Project Management Plan, (as a Canvas format) covering scope, timeline, resources, and risks.
2. Emphasis on the role of leadership: Each group had a designated leader who directed activities without performing construction tasks, developing leadership and coordination skills.
3. Engineering technical project design: Students created simple paper sketches of possible tower structures to guide their construction approach and stimulate design thinking.
4. Integration of sustainability (sustainability education and emission compensation): A module on environmental responsibility introduced carbon footprint calculation and native tree planting to offset emissions.

The results and analyses presented in this article refer exclusively to the 2024 edition of the Tower Game under the Futuro GP – Net Zero initiative. Although the 2025 edition was executed with an added sustainability innovation, final data collection and outcome measurement for that cycle were not complete at the time of this article’s submission. Therefore, the findings herein do not include quantitative or qualitative results from the 2025 implementation.

This paper outlines the project’s objectives, methodological enhancements, and its integration with sustainability frameworks. It further discusses the tangible educational and sustainability results achieved during the 2024 cycle, offering a replicable model for integrating sustainability into project management training for young learners. Additionally, the paper details the methodological adaptations introduced, the outcomes achieved, and the implications for integrating project management education with sustainable stewardship.

Materials and Methods

The project followed PMI PMBoK (7th Edition) principles.

Project Structure

A Work Breakdown Structure defined phases for initiation, planning, and execution. Planning tools included a Project Management Plan and a Trello-based Kanban board. The execution phase involved six PMI volunteers guiding 28 students through the Tower Game workshop. Predictive methods ensured structure, while adaptive ones supported collaboration and iteration.

The Tower Game

The Tower Game, originally described by the PMI Educational Foundation (LLEDO, 2014), is an instructive and engaging exercise that encourages participating teams to explore critical lessons about project management, including team formation, scope, time, cost, quality, and risk management.

During the activity, teams are challenged to build, within 20 minutes, the tallest possible tower using 20 sticks and 5 paper cups, aiming simultaneously to minimize execution time and resource consumption, while ensuring structural stability and quality.

In our 2025 edition, we embraced additional sustainable practices by replacing the conventional wooden sticks and paper cups with spaghetti and marshmallows, inspired by the well-established Marshmallow Challenge concept originally developed by Peter Skillman (no date, Figure 1). 

Rules and Leadership

Teams of up to 10 members built towers at least 50 cm tall. Bonuses were given for unused materials and time saved. Stability for 20 minutes after completion was required. Leaders could not touch the structure, focusing instead on coordination, communication, and strategic decision-making – promoting leadership and delegation skills.

Execution Steps

Facilitators introduced the objectives, distributed materials, timed the activity, measured results, and conducted debriefings. Reflection centered on teamwork, planning, and managing uncertainty – key components of project environments.

Methodological Adaptations

The Futuro GP – Net Zero project enhanced Lledó’s model by integrating sustainability and engineering design. Four adaptations were introduced:

1. Project Plan Creation: Students defined scope, resources, and risks, learning the fundamentals of structured project planning.
   
2. Leadership Development: A designated leader coordinated the group, reinforcing the difference between guiding and executing.
   
3. Engineering Design: Sketching tower structures encouraged creativity and planning.
   
4. Sustainability Integration: Students calculated the project’s carbon footprint and offset emissions through native tree planting.
   

These adaptations aligned with the P5 Standard and PRiSM methodology (Green Project Management, 2024) and supported the UN SDGs 4 (Quality Education) and 13 (Climate Action).

The project calculated emissions for energy, paper, transport, and waste using the GHG Protocol (FGVCES, 2024), totaling 0.0176 tCO₂e. These were offset with a 5:1 tree-planting ratio (Guapuruvu and Quaresmeira species) at the Guia Lopes School in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Sustainability Management Plan

The Sustainability Plan ensured alignment between traditional project goals and the triple bottom line (Elkington, 1997). Using the PRiSM method, it evaluated impacts across five dimensions: Product, Process, People, Planet, Prosperity.

Frameworks:

• UN SDGs (4 and 13)
  
• GHG Protocol for emissions measurement
  
• GRI Standards for transparency (GRI 305 and 404)
  

Emission Sources: Electricity, paper, fuel, and sanitary waste. The largest impact stemmed from transportation.
Compensation: Planting five native trees (three Quaresmeira, two Guapuruvu), each sequestering ≈ 0.35 tCO₂e over its life.
KPIs:

• 80% of students to gain project skills (SDG 4).
  
• 5:1 emission offset ratio (SDG 13).
  

A final GRI-based sustainability report was registered on the UN SDG Actions Platform, demonstrating accountability and transparency.

Results and Discussion

The implementation of the adapted Tower Game within the Futuro GP – Net Zero project yielded significant educational and environmental outcomes, while simultaneously fostering the engagement of the PMI Minas Gerais volunteer community.

To ensure carbon neutrality, the project compensated the calculated 0.0293 tCO2e by planting five native trees following a 5:1 offset ratio; the tree-planting activity is shown in Figure 4. From an educational standpoint, the experiential learning model effectively facilitated the internalization of project management concepts among participants. Observations during and after the activity indicated a heightened understanding of project constraints, trade-offs, and risk management strategies. The structured role assignments enabled the emergence of collaborative leadership dynamics, encouraging students to negotiate responsibilities and optimize team performance. Importantly, the inclusion of sustainability as a cross-cutting theme expanded participants’ comprehension of project impacts, transcending the traditional boundaries of time, cost, and scope to encompass environmental and social considerations.

The KPI table highlights four key performance areas tracked throughout the project. The carbon emissions exceeded the original plan due to unforeseen logistical demands, resulting in a “Not Met” status for KPI 1, but this was balanced by planting the planned number of trees (KPI 2), fully achieving the compensation strategy.

Team commitment remained strong, delivering the projected 312 hours of project development work (KPI 3, target met). However, the number of youth participants fell slightly short of the goal (18 vs. 25), marking KPI 4 as not fully met.

Table 1. Key Performance Indicators: Targets vs. Achievements

KPI	Description	Target (Planed)	Achieved	Target Met?
KPI 1	GHG Emissions (tCO₂e)	0.017640778	0.029300778	No
KPI 2	Compensation (Seedlings Planted)	5	5	Yes
KPI 3	Project Development Hours (Volunteer PMI Minas Gerais Team)*	N/D**	312	Yes
KPI 4	Target Audience (Youth Participants)	25 (Subscribed)	18	No

* KPI 3 (Project Development Hours) was not predetermined during the initial planning phase; instead, it was tracked throughout the project to monitor team engagement and effort.

**Not defined

The project successfully trained and capacitated 18 young students, providing them with essential project management skills and fostering a culture of sustainability awareness. In addition, the initiative mobilized 12 PMI Minas Gerais volunteers, who acted as facilitators and mentors, reinforcing their own professional competencies while contributing to community development.

This outcome underscores the importance of flexible planning and stakeholder engagement to meet participation goals, while demonstrating robust carbon offsetting and operational delivery.

The environmental dimension of the project also produced meaningful results and will be detailed. Emissions were calculated with rigor across four categories, using the GHG Protocol tool (FGVces, 2024). The comparison between planned and actual emissions is presented in table 2 below:

Table 2. Planned and Actual GHG Emissions by Category

Category	Planned	Actual
Energy Consumption	0.001108278 tCO₂e	0.001108278 tCO₂e
Printed Sheets	0.00025 tCO₂e	0.00036 tCO₂e
Fuel (Gasoline) Consumption	0.01617 tCO₂e	0.02772 tCO₂e
Sanitary Effluents	0.0001125 tCO₂e	0.0001125 tCO₂e
Total Emissions	0.01764 tCO₂e	0.02930 tCO₂e

As the data indicates, the most significant deviations occurred in the categories of gasoline consumption and printed materials, reflecting adjustments made during the implementation phase to meet logistical and pedagogical needs. Nevertheless, the established 5:1 compensation strategy proved adequate to offset the total emissions, maintaining the project’s commitment to carbon neutrality.

This practical demonstration of carbon compensation served not only as an environmental safeguard but also as an educational instrument, illustrating to participants the feasibility and necessity of integrating environmental responsibility into project management practice.

Additionally, the project provided a fertile ground for the engagement and professional development of PMI Minas Gerais volunteers. 

These individuals, functioning as facilitators, applied project management methodologies in a real-world, community-based context, thereby reinforcing their technical competencies and leadership capacities. The initiative fostered a collective identity centered on sustainability, innovation, and social impact, which is consistent with the broader mission of PMI to empower changemakers globally.

Comparatively, the adapted methodology introduced within this project represents a significant evolution from Lledo’s original design. By embedding structured feedback mechanisms, integrating real-world environmental metrics, and explicitly linking project activities to global sustainability goals, the Futuro GP – Net Zero initiative expanded the pedagogical scope and societal relevance of the Tower Game. This comprehensive approach provided all stakeholders — students, volunteers, and institutional partners — with a multi-dimensional learning experience that transcended conventional project management training.

The analysis of the project’s positive and negative impacts demonstrates that, despite a few indicators falling short of their planned targets, the Futuro GP – Net Zero initiative delivered significant benefits for the participants and the community.

On the positive side, the project successfully enhanced the project management knowledge and skills of participating in youth, promoted social inclusion, and fostered the development of crucial soft skills such as teamwork and communication. Community engagement was robust, and the initiative also embedded sustainability practices throughout its lifecycle, including effective carbon emission measurement and full compensation, reinforcing environmental awareness among students.

Additionally, the project produced tangible outcomes: young participants were empowered with foundational project management abilities and inspired to lead local initiatives that may benefit their communities. A culture of sustainability was cultivated, positioning environmental education as a core value for future projects.

Conversely, the project encountered certain challenges. Financial constraints, limited material resources, logistical difficulties impacted participant mobilization, and some barriers in equitable access arose due to geographic and technological factors. Furthermore, the sustainability of funding and partnerships remains a potential risk for continuity, and not all students have reached the same level of competency.

Nonetheless, the overall impact remains highly positive, evidencing that the project’s structure, volunteer dedication, and clear sustainability commitments outweighed the constraints faced. The lessons learned will inform future editions to strengthen community engagement, expand outreach, and further amplify social and environmental benefits.

Final Considerations

The deployment of the Tower Game within the Futuro GP – Net Zero framework demonstrates the transformative potential of integrating project management education with sustainability principles in youth engagement programs. By effectively merging technical skill development with sustainability accountability, the project offered participants a nuanced understanding of modern project management as a discipline intrinsically linked to the pressing challenges of our time.

The imminent analysis of the participant satisfaction survey will provide further insights into the project’s educational effectiveness and inform future iterations. However, preliminary observations suggest that the project has already achieved its core objectives: equipping students with project management competencies, fostering sustainable project execution practices, and galvanizing volunteer engagement within PMI Minas Gerais.

In conclusion, the Futuro GP – Net Zero project stands as a compelling example of how methodological innovation, when anchored in established pedagogical frameworks and enriched by sustainability imperatives, can yield profound educational and environmental benefits. It offers a replicable model for PMI chapters and other institutions seeking to amplify their social impact through the strategic fusion of project management and sustainability education.

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