The project sets out the following objectives:

• To develop and test three different methods for reducing the incidence of xenophobia and intolerance among young people aged 15-20, which can be disseminated elsewhere.

• To disseminate these methods to increase knowledge around Islamophobia, Afrophobia, and homophobia to at least 300 people aged 15-20 in the Örebro region through various in-person activities, and to at least 300 people aged 15-20 online.

• To disseminate the methods to at least 1 000 teachers and youth leaders in Sweden.

•  At least 75% of participants feel that the methods have reduced their attitudes towards xenophobia and intolerance​.

The project is addressed to young people aged 15-20 years old in Sweden, and the teachers and youth leaders who work with them. 

The project developed three educational, portable escape rooms. An escape room is a team-based game where players discover clues, solve puzzles and perform tasks to achieve a specific goal in a limited time-frame. The escape rooms focused on Islamophobia, homophobia and Afrophobia. The rooms were designed around existing studies of these phobias: the findings of the studies were used to determine learning objectives and reflection sessions for each room.

A workshop on xenophobia and racism was also developed, suitable for groups of 10-30 participants. In addition, a number of podcast episodes about the phobias were produced. Listen to podcast episodes here.

The project has reached at least 900 people aged 15-20 years, and its methods have been spread to at least 2 000 teachers and youth leaders nationally, primarily through visits to schools. At least 75% of participants feel that it has reduced their xenophobia and intolerance.

In an interview published on the site of the Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society (the project's main funder), founder and operations manager of Awesome People Karin Wouda said that the project has received very positive feedback from students, teachers and the public. The Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society highlighted it as a particularly successful project.  

The project was successful enough to secure additional funding, allowing for the development of a second cycle, ESCAPE the phobia 2.0.

The project is funded by the Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society. In its first iteration it was granted 850 000 SEK (approximately 85 000 EUR). 

The Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society is a government agency that works to ensure that young people have access to influence and welfare, and supports the government in issues relating to civil society policy.