Inclusive education increasingly values experiential and non-formal learning—such as sports and outdoor activities—as powerful tools to develop key competences for autonomy, communication, and social integration. Programs that engage young people with disabilities in inclusive sporting contexts, such as adaptive sailing, foster not only personal development but also new forms of connection between learners and their surrounding communities. These initiatives challenge social perceptions and promote deeper understanding, empathy, and shared responsibility for inclusion.

Yet assessing their educational and social impact remains a complex task. Competence development does not always follow linear or measurable paths, and many changes—especially in attitudes and relationships—are difficult to capture through conventional evaluation tools. Moreover, inclusive education demands that we look beyond the individual learner’s growth to consider the awareness, acceptance, and engagement of families, educators, and communities. Understanding these multidimensional changes requires tools that can foster reflection and dialogue among all involved.

This paper presents Paths of Change, a participatory game designed to support inclusive impact assessment by enabling stakeholders to map the development of competences and broader social transformation. Grounded in the Theory of Change and participatory evaluation principles, the game invites participants to explore how specific activities contribute to change at personal, relational, and systemic levels. A visual game board, simple iconography, and accessible language are used to help players identify and justify outcomes across short-, medium-, and long-term timelines.

The game was applied in the context of an inclusive sailing program involving young people with disabilities. While the young participants themselves were not directly involved in gameplay due to communication barriers, the tool was used with their surrounding network—parents, educators, and trainers. In group sessions, these stakeholders discussed observed or anticipated changes, such as increased autonomy, collaboration, and confidence in the young participants, as well as shifts in their own perceptions, expectations, and inclusive practices.

By facilitating structured dialogue in a playful and non-hierarchical format, Paths of Change made it easier for diverse voices to reflect on what inclusion means and how it can be fostered in and beyond educational programs. Early feedback suggests the game supports both deeper stakeholder engagement and more nuanced understandings of educational impact.

Keywords: Social impact, Game-based assessment, Inclusion, Competence development.