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RealLives Workshop at Chulalongkorn University Bangkok, Thailand

RealLives Academic for Higher Education

RealLives Academic empowers university faculty with sophisticated simulation tools and research-grade datasets that transform undergraduate and graduate courses across multiple disciplines. This evidence-based platform enables students to engage with complex global phenomena through immersive, methodologically rigorous experiences that bridge theory and practice.

Why Universities Choose RealLives?

Interdisciplinary Applications  RealLives supports courses across sociology, anthropology, political science, economics, international relations, public policy, and development studies. Faculty can customize simulations to align with specific research interests and theoretical frameworks.

Research-Quality Data Integration  Built on comprehensive demographic, economic, and social datasets from 200+ countries, RealLives provides students with authentic exposure to global inequality, policy impacts, and structural constraints that shape life outcomes worldwide.

Flexible Pedagogical Framework Adaptable to various teaching methodologies from flipped classrooms to seminar discussions, independent research projects to collaborative policy analysis.

Course Integration Examples

Graduate Level Applications

  • Introduction to Sociology: Exploring social stratification and mobility across different national contexts

  • Development Economics: Examining poverty, education access, and economic opportunity structures

  • Global Studies: Understanding cultural adaptation and transnational migration patterns

Academic Benefits

Critical Thinking :  Students learn to see how choices and circumstances affect life outcomes, and think about cause and effect in society.

Exploring Data :   Real-world statistics in the game help students notice patterns and compare life experiences across countries.

Global AwarenessBy :  living virtual lives in different cultures, students build empathy and a better understanding of the world.

Proven Impact in Higher Education

Integrate RealLives now!

Universities worldwide report enhanced student engagement, improved analytical thinking, and stronger preparation for graduate research and global careers. Faculty consistently note increased class participation sophisticated student discussions of global issues.

Ready to enhance your courses with cutting-edge simulation technology?

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RealLives Worksop at IIT Bombay India

Empathy and Social-Emotional Competency Development

RealLives transforms empathy education from abstract concepts into authentic emotional experiences. Instead of simply discussing different life circumstances, students actually live through diverse realities, experiencing the daily challenges, decisions, and emotions of characters from nearly 200 countries worldwide.

RealLives supports evidence-based social-emotional learning

Through immersive simulation experiences, students develop self-awareness by reflecting on their own reactions and biases when facing unfamiliar life circumstances. They build emotional regulation skills as they navigate challenging decisions and responses during gameplay. Cultural competency grows naturally as students experience diverse social contexts and economic realities firsthand.

The platform strengthens interpersonal skills through classroom discussions and collaborative reflection activities around shared simulation experiences. Finally, ethical reasoning is practiced continuously as students weigh complex choices within their simulated lives and connect these experiences to real-world considerations.

Experience Authentic Life Stories

Each RealLives simulation presents students with a unique individual whose life unfolds through real-world data and circumstances. Students don't just read about poverty in rural Bangladesh or urban challenges in Brazil, they navigate these realities firsthand, making decisions and experiencing consequences that build genuine emotional understanding.

Examples of Empathy-Building Experiences:

  • Making difficult choices between education and work when family finances are tight

  • Navigating healthcare decisions with limited resources and access

  • Experiencing the emotional impact of natural disasters, conflict, or economic instability

  • Understanding how cultural expectations shape personal relationships and career opportunities

  • Feeling the weight of responsibility as family circumstances change

The Empathy Canvas Tool

Our structured reflection framework helps students process their simulation experiences

Before Playing: Students set intentions and identify their own assumptions During RealLives Simulation: Guided reflection prompts help students notice emotional responses After Playing:  Deep analysis of decisions, feelings, and newfound perspectives Connecting to Reality:  Linking simulation experiences to real-world understanding

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Ready to Transform Your Course?

Start building empathy in your students today with RealLives' comprehensive simulation and reflection tools. Our platform makes social-emotional learning engaging, authentic, and impactful for university learners.

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From Empathy to Action Through Global Perspective

RealLives transforms abstract global challenges into personal experiences, helping university students understand how the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) directly impact real lives around the world.

In RealLives, you're likely born into a country different from your own. As you navigate this simulated life, you'll witness social disparities, both within your new nation and between it and your home country.

These disparities aren't isolated problems—they're symptoms of unsustainable practices worldwide. That's why RealLives frames these experiences through the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which tackle interconnected global challenges like climate change, poverty, and inequality.

From Empathy to Action Through Global Perspective

Countries can be ranked against these SDGs to show how well they're addressing specific disparities. RealLives uses this framework to help you understand not just what's wrong, but what can be done about it.

RealLives transforms abstract global challenges into personal experiences, helping university students understand how the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) directly impact real lives around the world.

In RealLives, you're likely born into a country different from your own. As you navigate this simulated life, you'll witness social disparities, both within your new nation and between it and your home country.

These disparities aren't isolated problems—they're symptoms of unsustainable practices worldwide. That's why RealLives frames these experiences through the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which tackle interconnected global challenges like climate change, poverty, and inequality.

Countries can be ranked against these SDGs to show how well they're addressing specific disparities. RealLives uses this framework to help you understand not just what's wrong, but what can be done about it.

SDG’s Impact in RealLives

High Relevance in RealLives

Medium Relevance in RealLives

Low Relevance in RealLives

From Awareness to Action

The goal isn't just awareness, it's empowerment.
RealLives helps students

  • Identify root causes of global challenges rather than just symptoms

  • Understand interconnections between different SDGs and how they impact each other

  • Develop solutions thinking by exploring what works in different contexts

  • Take meaningful action through school and community-based projects

Beyond the Classroom

  • Pursue graduate research aligned with global development priorities

  • Choose careers addressing world challenges in international organizations

  • Support evidence-based policy recommendations for SDG implementation

  • Lead research initiatives for sustainable solutions

Ready to Connect Your Course to Global Action?

Discover how RealLives transforms SDG education from abstract concepts to personal commitment. Start building tomorrow's global leaders today.

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Academic Context

Lesson Plans

DEVELOPING INTERCULTURAL AWARENESS & SENSITIVITY THROUGH DIGITAL GAME PLAY

By, Anika Strupert

SIMULATING REAL LIVES: PROMOTING GLOBAL EMPATHY AND INTEREST IN LEARNING THROUGH SIMULATION GAMES

By, Christine M. Bachen

COMPUTER-BASED LIFE SIMULATIONS AND YOUNG ADOLESCENTS

By, Kallen Tsikalas

USING VIDEO GAMES TO THINK ABOUT DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE

By, Marcus Schulzke

REALLIVES 2004: THE DEVIL YOU KNOW

By, Patrick Crogan

Coming Soon

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Why RealLives matters?

Using real-world demographic and economic data, the simulation places students in authentic scenarios where they make decisions about school, work, family, health, and more. Every choice leads to realistic consequences, shaped by global inequality, access, and opportunity.

RealLives isn’t just a game—it’s a window into the lived experience of people across the globe. Whether you’re born into a wealthy family in Sweden or a struggling household in rural India, the simulation challenges you to navigate life based on real-world constraints and possibilities.

Foster Empathy Through Experience

By making choices and living consequences, students organically develop empathy. They begin to ask: What would I do in this situation? What opportunities would I miss or gain just by being born elsewhere?

Experience RealLives

RealLives is driven by real world data

Learning Outcomes

1

Understand how identity and context shape lives

Examine the influence of geography, gender, and socio-economic status on opportunities, challenges, and life paths.

2

Experience global development through simulation

Connect real-world indicators of health, education, and income to personal life journeys.

3

Develop critical skills for navigating complexity

Strengthen decision-making, reflection, and systems thinking in response to real-world challenges.

4

Engage with global challenges and the SDGs

Explore how everyday choices relate to issues such as poverty, inequality, climate, and health.

5

Foster empathy, resilience, and global citizenship

Build awareness of diverse perspectives, reflect on equity and resilience, and embrace interdependence.

RCMI

The RealLives ChangeMaker Index (RCMI) measures how you respond to real-life challenges in the simulation—revealing your strengths in 18 key skills like empathy, leadership, and problem-solving.

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No quizzes, just your actions

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Personalized profile of your changemaker strengths

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Future-ready skills for real-world impact

RCMI Clusters

RCMI is built on the foundation that effective changemakers excel across four interconnected domains. The assessment system recognizes that true changemaking ability emerges from the balance and integration of these four essential clusters:

Personal

Inter
Personal

Contextual
Awareness

Strategic
Thinking

Internal/Personal Qualities form the foundation - you must first master yourself before leading change in society, others or even in the world.

Interpersonal Competencies  build upon this foundation - enabling you to connect with, influence, and mobilize others toward shared goals.

Contextual Awareness ensures responsible impact - grounding your efforts in ethical responsibility and global understanding.

Strategic Thinking provides the intellectual framework - giving you the tools to analyze complex problems and develop innovative solutions.

How does it work?

Experience RCMI

Our Empathy Canvas has been tailored for RealLives

Q1. How did I connect
emotionally with each
family member?

Q2.What responsibilities
did I see my family
carrying?

Q3. Socio-economic
conditions that
impacted my family?

Q4. What thoughts
and feelings my family
shares?

Q5. How did my
family respond to our
challenges?

Q6. What external
pressures did my
family face?

Q7. What emotions
did I witness during
key family moments?

Our Empathy Canvas has been tailored for RealLives

Get a personalised Empathy Score using Real AI

What you can do
on RealBoard?

One Platform
Multiple Use Cases

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Create Boards

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Why Educators Love
RealBoard?

1) Safe School-Only Network

Understand the impact of geography, gender, and socio-economic status on life paths

2) Decision Events Shape the Journey

Throughout their life journey, students encounter events that require them to make important decisions about education, work, health, relationships, and society.

3) Choices Reveal Who You Are

Every choice a student makes reflects their values, problem-solving style, empathy, and leadership tendencies.

4) Competencies Get Captured

These decisions map to 18 ChangeMaking Competencies, like critical thinking, resilience, collaboration, and social awareness.

5) ChangeMaker Index Shows Your Impact Potential

Finally, students receive a ChangeMaker Index score, a powerful reflection of their changemaking potential, based on real behaviors instead of just self-reported answers.

Real AI

Turning life stories into insights

Empathy Canvas analysis
using Real AI

The Empathy Canvas, powered by Real AI, is a unique tool that analyzes a user's emotional intelligence based on their responses to 9 carefully designed questions. Each response is processed using our Real AI engine to generate personalized AI reflections, providing deeper insights into the user’s emotional awareness and interpersonal understanding.

Based on this analysis, users receive an overall Empathy Score out of 100, along with actionable feedback. This process helps individuals explore their capacity for empathy — a vital trait in changemaking. Real AI also powers the RealLives ChangeMaker Index and other interactive reports, making complex human values like empathy, resilience, and social connection measurable and meaningful.

RCMI analysis using Real AI

The RealLives ChangeMaker Index (RCMI), powered by Real AI, measures a user's changemaking potential through their in-game decisions and responses. Based on their score, users are placed in one of five growth stages, Seed, Sprout, Sapling, Plant, or Fruit, reflecting their changemaker journey.

The report also includes a Severity Index, which maps the complexity and risks associated with different changemaking domains. Ranging from 1 (low risk) to 10 (extreme risk), this index helps users understand the potential challenges in areas like Peace & Conflict, Human Rights, or Environmental Protection. By aligning RCMI scores with domain severity, Real AI offers personalized insights on where users can contribute meaningfully while preparing for the realities of changemaking work.

RealLives at ETH University, Zurich, Switzerland

RealLives ChangeMaker Project

The RealLives ChangeMaker Project is your journey from awareness to action. Experience life through different perspectives, assess your global competencies, and channel your insights into creating meaningful change through impactful business solutions

Ready to Become a
ChangeMaker University?

Your ChangeMaker Journey

Phase 1: Experience & Empathy

Play RealLives - Walk in Someone Else's Shoes Step into lives across the globe and experience the challenges, opportunities, and realities that shape different communities. Through RealLives simulation:

  • Gain Perspective: Live through diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, geographic locations, and cultural contexts
  • Understand Complexity: Navigate real-world constraints like limited resources, educational barriers, and systemic challenges
  • Build Empathy: Develop deep emotional understanding of global issues beyond statistics and headlines
  • Identify Patterns: Recognize recurring themes and systemic problems that affect communities worldwide

Phase 2: Assess & Reflect

Play RealLives - Walk in Someone Else's Shoes Step into lives across the globe and experience the challenges, opportunities, and realities that shape different communities. Through RealLives simulation:

  • Gain Perspective: Live through diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, geographic locations, and cultural contexts
  • Understand Complexity: Navigate real-world constraints like limited resources, educational barriers, and systemic challenges
  • Build Empathy: Develop deep emotional understanding of global issues beyond statistics and headlines
  • Identify Patterns: Recognize recurring themes and systemic problems that affect communities worldwide

Phase 3: Ideate & Act

Business with Purpose (BWP) - Turn Insights Into Impact Armed with empathy and self-awareness, enter the Business with Purpose platform to create solutions that matter:

Ideation Stage -

  • Problem Identification: Use your RealLives insights to identify real challenges you witnessed
  • Solution Brainstorming: Generate innovative approaches to Addresss these problems

Investment Phase - -

  • Invest in ideas you believe have maximum potential of creating impact
  • Top ideas go through based on highest investments

Team Formation -

  • Partner Discovery: Connect with like-minded changemakers and complementary skill sets
  • Role Definition: Structure your team for maximum effectiveness

Business Creation -

  • Business Model Development: Create sustainable models that prioritize purpose alongside profit
  • Perform Key Value Articulation to gain quick insights into your Business Plan

Why This Journey Matters?

The Empathy Gap:

Many well-intentioned solutions fail because they're created without truly understanding the communities they aim to serve. RealLives bridges this gap.

The Action Gap:

Many people care about global issues but don't know how to create meaningful change. BWP provides the structure and tools to move from concern to action.

The Impact Gap:

Traditional business education often treats social impact as secondary. Our approach puts purpose at the center of business creation.

Ready to Become a ChangeMaker?

Your journey from understanding to impact starts now

Become a ChangeMaker

Our Educational Products

Comprehensive tools designed to build empathy, global awareness, and changemaker skills through immersive educational experiences.

RealLives Simulation

Experience life from birth to death in different countries and circumstances. Make decisions that shape your virtual life while learning about global inequalities and cultural differences.

Life Simulation Cultural Awareness
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Empathy Canvas

A structured reflection framework that helps students process their RealLives experiences and develop deeper empathy through guided self-reflection and peer discussion.

Reflection Tool Empathy Building
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RealBoard

A safe, private social platform where students can share their RealLives experiences, engage in meaningful discussions, and learn from diverse perspectives in a moderated environment.

Social Platform Peer Learning
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ChangeMaker Index

Revolutionary assessment tool that measures 18 global competencies through gameplay decisions rather than self-reporting, providing authentic insights into student development.

Assessment Tool 18 Competencies
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What Educators Are Saying

Hear from teachers and students who have transformed their learning experiences with RealLives educational tools.

"I just played my first character to the end, and the experience is incredible. I was in tears at the end"

David Laborie

"No curriculum has moved our students the way RealLives has. It is a very effective medium for teaching about the human experience in any country and culture in the world.”

Amanda Levin

“Every middle and high school should have this fascinating program. It’s a life simulation that enables students to live one of billions of lives in any country in the world. With each passing year."

Sydney Smith

Impact

Our Global Impact Story

RealLives has delivered six workshops across six countries, partnering with leading universities to bring global, experiential learning into classrooms. Students engage in real-world scenarios, make life-shaping decisions, explore global disparities, and build empathy for diverse human experiences. By integrating RealLives, institutions enrich courses in sociology, economics, and international relations while strengthening students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students report deeper understanding of global issues and a stronger connection to the world beyond their own borders.

Impact home

ETH Zurich Workshop

27/06/2018

ETH University Zurich, Switzerland

Department - Institute of Molecular Systems Biology

In collaboration with :

Prof. Dr. Ernst Hafen

Participants :

120

Used tool :

Empathy

Skills Developed

Navamindradhiraj University Workshop

20/09/2025

Navamindradhiraj University , Bangkok

Department - General Education

In collaboration with :

Prof.Krittanan (Punch)

Participants :

150

Used tool :

Empathy

Skills Developed

Empower Your Students with Global Perspectives

KyungHee University SDG Workshop

29/09/2025

Kyunghee University, Korea

Department - Social Sciences

In collaboration with :

Prof. Dr. Utak Chang

Participants :

30

Used tool :

Empathy

Skills Developed

IIT Bombay Exploring SDG 1 through Empathy Workshop

07/11/2024

IIT Bombay, India

Department - IDC School of Design

In collaboration with :

India HCI 2024

Participants :

30

Used tool :

Empathy Canvas

Skills Developed
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SDG’s Alligned with this workshop

Objective

To develop cross-cultural empathy and global awareness among students from high-income countries by enabling them to experience life circumstances in developing nations through RealLives simulation. The program aimed to bridge the perspective gap between students from privileged backgrounds and global development challenges while fostering meaningful intercultural dialogue and understanding of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals through experiential learning and structured peer-to-peer exchanges.

Program Overview

RealLives Foundation partnered with ETH Zurich to conduct an innovative cross-cultural empathy program that provided students with deep insights into the United Nations' seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By engaging with the text-based RealLives simulation, Swiss students learned to empathize with people from other parts of the world and gained new perspectives on global development challenges. The program facilitated hands-on experience in discussing SDGs and their real-world implications through direct collaboration with students from developing countries, creating authentic intercultural learning experiences.

Implementation & Methodology

The program addressed a key challenge: students from high-income countries like Switzerland often show difficulties relating to global challenges addressed in the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. The RealLives simulation allowed students to experience life when born at random locations on earth, with each simulated life lasting between 30 to 45 minutes. During the purely text-based gameplay, students encountered real-world data from public databases about their assigned countries, learning about specific SDG challenges. They experienced life unfolding around them until age eight, when they could begin making independent decisions, concluding each simulation by writing reflective obituaries about their lived experiences and life choices.

Cross-Cultural Exchange & Impact

The program featured a unique partnership with FLAME University in Pune, India, established through Parag Mankeekar's connection. Twenty ETH students experienced life by being born in Pune, India, while twenty Indian students lived simulated lives in Zurich, Switzerland. After completing three lives in their respective assigned cities, the program arranged one-on-one Skype conferences between Swiss and Indian students to share experiences and insights. The success of this perspective transformation was rigorously assessed through recorded interviews with Swiss students, demonstrating measurable changes in their understanding of global development challenges and cross-cultural empathy development.

Skills Developed

Empower Your Students with Global Perspectives

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SDG’s Alligned with this workshop

Objective

To develop empathetic global citizens through experiential learning by enabling students at Navamindradhiraj University to experience diverse life circumstances through RealLives simulation, process their emotional responses through structured reflection, and channel their newfound empathy into actionable social business solutions. The comprehensive ChangeMaker Program aimed to bridge the gap between awareness and action while fostering critical thinking about sustainable development goals and global challenges.

Program Overview

RealLives Foundation successfully conducted a comprehensive ChangeMaker Program at Navamindradhiraj University in Bangkok, focusing on sustainable development goals and empathy-driven changemaking. The workshop engaged university students in an immersive educational journey that combined life simulation experiences with structured reflection and entrepreneurial thinking. Participants navigated through the complete RealLives ecosystem, experiencing lives across different socioeconomic backgrounds globally while developing measurable empathy and changemaking competencies through our proprietary assessment tools.

Implementation & Methodology

The program utilized our integrated four-step methodology: students first experienced diverse global lives through RealLives simulation, then processed their emotional responses using the Empathy Canvas framework, followed by generating personalized ChangeMaker Index reports analyzing their development across 18 competencies. The workshop concluded with students creating viable social business solutions using our Social Business Canvas, directly addressing challenges they encountered during their simulated life experiences. This experiential learning approach enabled participants to move beyond theoretical understanding of global issues to developing practical, empathy-driven solutions.

Outcomes & Impact

The workshop demonstrated significant measurable outcomes in student engagement and empathy development. Participants showed enhanced understanding of global disparities, improved critical thinking about sustainable development challenges, and increased motivation to pursue social impact initiatives. Students created innovative social business proposals targeting issues ranging from educational inequality to sustainable resource management, reflecting their deepened awareness of interconnected global challenges. The success at Navamindradhiraj University reinforces RealLives' effectiveness in transforming academic learning into actionable changemaking capabilities across diverse cultural and educational contexts.

Skills Developed

Student Testimonial

I'm Panja "Thon Mai" Sulta Mujdatin. Through this experience, I learned that while none of us choose the circumstances we're born into, rich or poor, we can always choose empathy, kindness, and inclusion. Life has its ups and downs, so being flexible and ready for change is essential.

Inspired by a disabled family member, I developed a social impact project to raise awareness for people with disabilities. I plan to share interview videos on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube so their voices and perspectives are heard. I'll also recycle unused materials and collaborate with disabled creators to make handmade products, which I'll sell in public spaces and donate all profits to a foundation.

My core principles include creating quality content that informs and inspires, customizing approaches to respect each person's comfort and privacy, maintaining consistency to drive real long term change, and fostering collaboration to ensure disabled people are included and empowered.

My message to young people: everyone is human, treat all people equally.

Empower Your Students with Global Perspectives

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SDG’s Alligned with this workshop

Objective

To foster global citizenship and empathy development among Korean university students through experiential learning and cross-cultural understanding. The workshop aimed to expand students' perspectives on global challenges and sustainable development while developing their capacity for empathetic decision-making and changemaking skills through immersive life simulation experiences and structured reflection processes.

Program Overview

RealLives Foundation conducted a comprehensive ChangeMaker workshop at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, South Korea, organized by Prof. Dr. Utak Chang, former Director of UNESCO APCEIU (Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding), with assistance from Prof. Ms. Chanmi Kim. The program engaged 30 university students in an immersive educational experience designed to develop global awareness and empathy through the RealLives simulation platform. This collaboration with UNESCO's educational leadership demonstrated RealLives' alignment with international education standards and its effectiveness in promoting intercultural understanding and global citizenship development.

Implementation & Methodology

The workshop utilized RealLives' integrated educational approach, enabling students to experience diverse life circumstances across different countries and socioeconomic backgrounds through text-based simulation. Participants navigated multiple lives lasting 30-45 minutes each, encountering real-world data and making critical life decisions that reflected authentic global challenges. The program incorporated structured reflection through the Empathy Canvas framework, allowing students to process their emotional responses and develop deeper understanding of global disparities. Students also generated personalized ChangeMaker Index reports, providing measurable insights into their development across key competencies including empathy, global awareness, and critical thinking skills.

Outcomes & Impact

The workshop demonstrated significant engagement from Korean university students, who showed enhanced understanding of global development challenges and increased empathy for people from different cultural and economic backgrounds. Under the expert guidance of UNESCO-affiliated educators, students developed actionable insights into sustainable development goals and their personal roles as global changemakers. The program's success at Kyung Hee University, facilitated by internationally recognized education leaders, reinforces RealLives' effectiveness in diverse academic contexts and its potential for scaling intercultural education initiatives across Asia-Pacific educational institutions.

Skills Developed

Empower Your Students with Global Perspectives

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SDG’s Alligned with this workshop

Objective

To develop empathetic global citizens through experiential learning by enabling students at IIT Bombay to experience diverse life circumstances through RealLives simulation, process their emotional responses through structured reflection, and channel their newfound empathy into actionable social business solutions. The comprehensive ChangeMaker Program aimed to bridge the gap between awareness and action while fostering critical thinking about sustainable development goals and global challenges.

Program Overview

RealLives Foundation successfully conducted a comprehensive ChangeMaker Program at IIT Bombay, focusing on sustainable development goals and empathy-driven changemaking. The workshop engaged university students in an immersive educational journey that combined life simulation experiences with structured reflection and entrepreneurial thinking. Participants navigated through the complete RealLives ecosystem, experiencing lives across different socioeconomic backgrounds globally while developing measurable empathy and changemaking competencies through our proprietary assessment tools.

Implementation & Methodology

The program utilized our integrated four-step methodology: students first experienced diverse global lives through RealLives simulation, then processed their emotional responses using the Empathy Canvas framework, followed by generating personalized ChangeMaker Index reports analyzing their development across 18 competencies. The workshop concluded with students creating viable social business solutions using our Social Business Canvas, directly addressing challenges they encountered during their simulated life experiences. This experiential learning approach enabled participants to move beyond theoretical understanding of global issues to developing practical, empathy-driven solutions.

Outcomes & Impact

The workshop demonstrated significant measurable outcomes in student engagement and empathy development. Participants showed enhanced understanding of global disparities, improved critical thinking about sustainable development challenges, and increased motivation to pursue social impact initiatives. Students created innovative social business proposals targeting issues ranging from educational inequality to sustainable resource management, reflecting their deepened awareness of interconnected global challenges. The success at IIT Bombay reinforces RealLives' effectiveness in transforming academic learning into actionable changemaking capabilities across diverse cultural and educational contexts.

Skills Developed

RealLives 2004

The first widely adopted version of RealLives that introduced players to a simulation of life across the globe. With a basic UI and limited data, this version laid the foundation for what would become a powerful learning tool on global diversity.

RealLives 2007

An improved interface and broader country database made this edition more immersive. RealLives 2007 added more life events, cultural depth, and socio-economic details, bringing users closer to the everyday realities of people worldwide.

RealLives 2014

With enhanced graphics and better event logic, this version offered a more detailed life simulation experience. It allowed users to make impactful life decisions and see the consequences unfold over time. This version continued as a standalone desktop application.

RealLives 2017

This cloud-based version of RealLives, released in October 2017, brought the experience online. With a revamped interface and updated global data, it works seamlessly on all modern browsers and operating systems.

RealLives 2025

This cloud-based version of RealLives, released in October 2017, brought the experience online. With a revamped interface and updated global data, it works seamlessly on all modern browsers and operating systems.

Current Version

Inventor

Kathy and Bob Runyan

Bob Runyan grew up in California's emerging Silicon Valley, where early exposure to technology sparked his lifelong curiosity. His travels through Mexico and Europe as a young soccer player deepened his passion for understanding diverse cultures and perspectives.

After serving with the Peace Corps in the Seychelles Islands—where he taught math and computer science—Bob transitioned into computer programming in 1989. In 1996, inspired by technology's potential to build empathy, he conceived software that could simulate life experiences worldwide using real statistical data. This vision led him to found Educational Simulations Inc. and launch RealLives in 2001.

The partnership that would transform RealLives began when Bob met Dr. Parag Mankeeker through the Ashoka Foundation, recognizing his exceptional vision for the platform's global potential.

Dr. Parag Mankeeker is a social technology entrepreneur whose journey spans medicine, public health, and anthropology. His multidisciplinary expertise has driven him to tackle complex social challenges, from developing innovative hospitals to managing disaster response systems.

Parag's work has taken him to the frontlines of understanding global conflicts, including terrorism research in India and Afghanistan. His commitment to positive change has earned him recognition as both an Ashoka Fellow and Salzburg Seminar Fellow.

Now leading RealLives' global expansion, Parag is transforming the platform into a powerful tool for building empathy and socio-emotional learning, advancing the shared dream of creating a more empathetic world.

Leader

Dr. Parag Mankeekar

Working Team

Parag Mankeekar

Team Leader

Ravi Gulhane

CTO

Ajit Ghanekar

Chief Stasitician

Amrapali Pathare

Senior Frontend Developer

Atharva Nijampurkar

Senior Backend Developer

Pankaj Sapkal

Chief Strategist

Vidya Mankeekar

Account and HR

Adarsh Vishwakarma

Frontend Developer

Viraj Kabbur

Product Manager

Janhavi Desai

Translation Intern

Sakshi Kulkarni

Translation Intern

Bhoomi Luniya

AI Intern

Itinerant Team Members

We extend our deepest gratitude to the many talented professionals from the Neeti team whose significant contributions helped bring this ambitious project to life. Their expertise and dedication laid crucial groundwork for RealLives' continued evolution.

Over the past three years, more than 200 passionate interns from diverse backgrounds and disciplines have poured their energy into this labor of love. These remarkable individuals—spanning fields from technology and education to social sciences and design—have each left their mark on RealLives, contributing fresh perspectives, innovative solutions, and countless hours of dedicated work.

We are profoundly grateful to the following organizations for their generous support in connecting us with exceptional talent. By providing outstanding interns who shared our vision for building empathy through technology, these institutions have become integral partners in our mission to create a more understanding world. Their commitment to fostering meaningful educational and professional experiences has directly contributed to RealLives' growth and impact.

To every intern, mentor, and supporting organization—your contributions have not only advanced our platform but have also embodied the very spirit of global collaboration and cultural exchange that RealLives seeks to promote.

Manisha Sathe

Vivek Rishi

Paresh Deshpande

Nikhil Jain

Purva Deshpande

Sateesh Khomne

Namita Pandya

Abhijit Kuljkarni

Aniruddha Bhide

Chaitanya Joshi

Tejas Chitale

Pinaki Dixit

Bob Runyan

Omkar Chandrachud

Makarand Vagaskar

Dilip Kalantri

Dr. Manasi Abhyankar

Lukesh Bundele

Yogini Barde

Aditi Thombre

Ramesh Garudkar

Sarita Karde

Anjani Pathak

Jaganntah Shelar

Sharvari Kulkarni

Special Thanks

We thank Ashoka for fostering empathy and social innovation worldwide. Their recognition of Dr. Parag Mankeeker as an Ashoka Fellow validated our mission and connected us with a global network of changemakers who share our vision of building cross-cultural understanding through transformative education.

We thank BMGI Global for their strategic partnership and management consulting expertise across India and the Asia Pacific region. Their professional guidance has helped us navigate complex markets while staying true to our mission of creating meaningful educational impact through technology.

We are grateful to Ashoka Globalizer for accelerating our worldwide impact. Their specialized support in scaling social innovations has been instrumental in helping RealLives reach new communities globally, amplifying our ability to foster empathy and understanding in classrooms around the world.

Always Grateful

Lee Hartwell

Arizona, USA

Nobel Laureate (2001), Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

David Gibson

Perth, Australia

Director | Learning Futures | Curtin Learning and Teaching, Australia.

Laura Giadorou-Koch

NY, USA

Practiced corporate law on Wall Street. System-level social entrepreneur and innovative educator & CEO

Naresh Shahani

Mumbai, India

MD and Founder, BMGI India Business Coach Innovation and Organic Growth with Consulting Experience

Abhay Nalawade

Pune, India

Advisor for start-ups, technology companies, social organizations, Entrepreneur & Ex-MD/CEO of Thermax

Milind Desai

Mumbai, India

Advisor, Trackball Consultancy Services Private Limited

Thanks

Natya Tatineni

Bangalore, India

Bob Runyan

Chico, CA, USA

Neelesh Kulkarni

Pune, India

Anil Paranjape

Pune, India

Hemant Karandikar

Pune, India

Milind Desai

Mumbai, India

Vibhas Chandrachood

Lexington, KY, USA

Hiren Bhat

Detroit, MI, USA

Parimal Tathawadekar

Detroit, MI, USA

Daniel Truran

Madrid, Spain

Pricing Licenses

RL Pack 50

$299

/1 Year

50 Students

1 year validity

$249 on renewal

RL Pack 100

$499

/1 Year

100 Students

1 year validity

$449 on renewal

RL Pack 150

$749

/1 Year

150 Students

1 year validity

$749 on renewal

RL Pack 200

$999

/1 Year

200 Students

1 year validity

$999 on renewal

RL Pack 250

$1249

/1 Year

250 Students

1 year validity

$1249 on renewal

RL Pack 300

$1499

/1 Year

300 Students

1 year validity

$1499 on renewal

What’s Included?

All plans include the same core features No hidden costs. Complete transparency

RealLives Simulation

Experience life from birth to death in different countries and circumstances. Make decisions that shape your virtual life while learning about global inequalities and cultural differences.

Life Simulation Cultural Awareness
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Empathy Canvas

A structured reflection framework that helps students process their RealLives experiences and develop deeper empathy through guided self-reflection and peer discussion.

Reflection Tool Empathy Building
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RealBoard

A safe, private social platform where students can share their RealLives experiences, engage in meaningful discussions, and learn from diverse perspectives in a moderated environment.

Social Platform Peer Learning
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ChangeMaker Index

Revolutionary assessment tool that measures 18 global competencies through gameplay decisions rather than self-reporting, providing authentic insights into student development.

Assessment Tool 18 Competencies
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Research-Backed Learning with RealLives

RealLives Simulation has been independently studied by universities and educators worldwide.Peer-reviewed research demonstrates its impact on empathy, global citizenship, identity development, decision-making, and SDG-aligned learning outcomes across age groups.

Browse peer-reviewed studies, theoretical analyses,
and classroom research on RealLives.

Paper Title

Effects of a Game-Based Empathy Education Program Linked to the SDGs

Institution

Korea University (Republic of Korea)

What was studied 

Evaluation of RealLives Simulation as a game-based empathy education tool for high school and university learners

Paper Title

Real Lives 2004: The Devil You Know…

Institution

University of the West of England, Bristol

What was studied 

How probabilistic life modeling influences learning, empathy, and understanding of global inequality.

Santa Clara University

Paper Title

Simulating REAL LIVES: Promoting Global Empathy and Interest in Learning Through Simulation Games

Institution

Korea University (Republic of Korea)

What was studied 

How probabilistic life modeling influences learning, empathy, and understanding of global inequality.

Paper Title

Real Lives and the Problem of Distributive Justice (Essay on video games, meritocracy, and justice)

Institution

State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany

What was studied 

How probabilistic life modeling influences learning, empathy, and understanding of global inequality.

Individual Research by Kallen Tsikalas

Paper Title

Computer-Based Life Simulations and Young Adolescents: Identity Exploration, Information Learning, and Sense-Making

Institution

State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany

What was studied 

Evaluation of RealLives Simulation as a game-based empathy education tool for high school and university learners

Effects of a Game-Based Empathy
Education Program Linked to the SDGs

Evaluation of RealLives Simulation as a game-based empathy
education tool for high school and university learners

Peer-Reviewed Research arrow_downward

Paper Title

Effects of a Game-Based Empathy Education Program Linked to the SDGs

Institution

Korea University (Republic of Korea)

What was studied 

Evaluation of RealLives Simulation as a game-based empathy education tool for high school and university learners

Key Findings 

  • Significant growth in cognitive, emotional, and attitudinal empathy
  • Strong alignment with UN SDGs, especially SDGs 3, 4, 8, 11, and 16
  • Learners moved beyond awareness to reflection and action intent

Methods 

Qualitative coding, language network analysis, topic modeling (NetMiner)

Real Lives 2004: The Devil You Know…

How probabilistic life modeling influences learning, empathy, and
understanding of global inequality.

arrow_downward

Paper Title

Real Lives 2004: The Devil You Know…

Institution

University of the West of England, Bristol

What was studied 

How probabilistic life modeling influences learning, empathy, and
understanding of global inequality.

Key Findings 

  • Real Lives 2004 uses statistical and probabilistic models to simulate human lives, reflecting traditions of modern governance and control.
  • While intended to foster empathy and global understanding, the game risks reducing lived experience to calculative equivalence.
  • The simulation promotes “comprehension” through data but limits “surprise” or singular lived experience.

Methods 

Conceptual examination of statistics, simulation, and educational game design. Interpretive analysis rather than empirical experimentation or user studies.

Simulating REAL LIVES: Promoting
Global Empathy and Interest in
Learning Through Simulation Games

How role-playing simulated lives from different countries affects
students’ affective and motivational learning outcomes.

Santa Clara University

arrow_downward

Paper Title

Simulating REAL LIVES: Promoting Global Empathy and Interest in Learning Through Simulation Games

Institution

Santa Clara University, California, USA

What was studied 

How role-playing simulated lives from different countries affects students’ affective and motivational learning outcomes.

Key Findings 

  • Playing REAL LIVES significantly increased global empathy among high school students compared to a control group.
  • Students who played the simulation showed greater interest in learning about other countries, both immediately and weeks after gameplay.
  • Identification with in-game characters was strongly and positively associated with higher global empathy.

Methods 

Quasi-experimental classroom study. Participants: 301 high school students from three Northern California schools

Real Lives and the Problem of
Distributive Justice Essay on video
games, meritocracy, and justice

The pedagogical potential of life-simulation games to introduce
players to debates on distributive justice, luck, and social inequality.

arrow_downward

Paper Title

Real Lives and the Problem of Distributive Justice

Institution

State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany

What was studied 

The pedagogical potential of life-simulation games to introduce
players to debates on distributive justice, luck, and social inequality.

Key Findings 

  • Real Lives challenges the meritocratic norm commonly reinforced by mainstream video games.
  • Unlike most games that emphasize player control and individual power, Real Lives highlights how chance, social context, and structural constraints shape life outcomes.
  • The game encourages players to critically reflect on distributive justice, particularly the role of luck versus personal effort.

Methods 

Quasi-experimental classroom study. Participants: 301 high school students from three Northern California schools

Computer-Based Life Simulations and
Young Adolescents: Identity
Exploration, Information Learning,
and Sense-Making

How young adolescents learn while engaging in a computer-based life simulation.

Individual Research by Kallen Tsikalas

arrow_downward

Paper Title

Computer-based Life Simulations and Young Adolescents: Identity Exploration, Information Learning, and Sense-Making

Institution

Published as an individual academic research paper, mid-2000s

What was studied 

How young adolescents learn while engaging in a computer-based life simulation.

Key Findings 

  • Students developed practical decision-making strategies around education, work, relationships, money, and family choices.
  • Real Lives functioned as an identity laboratory, enabling safe exploration of life paths that may be inaccessible or risky
  • Players demonstrated strong moral reasoning, often avoiding smoking and teen pregnancy, while also strategically experimenting with crime, family size, and risk.

Methods 

Descriptive mixed-methods study combining qualitative and quantitative data. Analysis of 63 simulated lives played by 13 low-income, urban adolescents.

Get in Touch

Contact Information

Email

Support@reallivesworld.com

Address

Pune, India