2019 Games for Change Festival

The urgent, and by now familiar, call to educate youth in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) is being matched in many quarters with an equally urgent call: to educate the “whole student” by emphasizing social and emotional learning (SEL). Increasingly SEL is seen as equally essential as STEM for students to thrive in school, career, and life. Panelists will discuss how their programs and curricula that teach game-design can advance SEL competencies such goal-setting, social engagement, cooperation, empathy, and problem solving—while also complementing STEM’s cognitive goals and inspiring interest in STEM careers.

From research applications to education outreach, government entities are leveraging science games as a powerful tool to engage a wealth of different audiences. Featuring speakers from the Smithsonian Science Education Center, the National Institutes of Health, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, this panel will showcase case examples of the development and implementation of games for good in the government.

When Institute of Play opened its doors in January of 2007 it did so with a mission to change the way young people experienced learning and to help activate the next generation of engaged citizens. Created by a group of game designers, the Institute brought together game design, rigorous research practices and strong interdisciplinary partnerships to create, study and promote game-based materials, strategies and systems as critical tools for personal and social development. From developing a model for game-like learning deployed in the design of the New York City public school Quest to Learn, to an innovative game-based teacher development program, to the creation of evidence-based design resources of all types to support others in using games and play in transformative play, the Institute has been seen as a global leader in games and learning. This session brings together four of the founding members of the Institute in conversation about the most salient lessons learned from 10 years in the trenches.

Girl Scouts is a place for girls and young women to learn formative life skills in a fun and social environment that can introduce them to a range of possible career goals. In this session, two Girl Scouts from different generations talk with each other about the ways Girl Scouts supported their paths towards the art and science of game design. Tracy Fullerton is an experimental game designer, professor, and author. Her research center, the Game Innovation Lab, has produced a number of influential independent games, including Cloud, flOw, Darfur is Dying, The Night Journey and Walden, a game. Her design textbook “Game Design Workshop” is used at game programs worldwide. She is also is a former Girl Scout who learned many skills in the Girl Scouts that she uses every day as a game designer. Brielle Randall is a young artist and high school student who loves to use art, science, and technology to bring awareness to issues and promote innovative solutions for change. She brought these interests together in her Girl Scout Gold Award project in which she combined drawing, writing, psychology, coding and statistical analysis to identify problems within online fandom communities, developing web comics to disseminate awareness and impact both perpetrators and victims. Barry Joseph, VP of Digital Experience at Girl Scouts of USA, is proud to know and support both of them.

More than ever before, parents are likely to be current or former gamers and teachers see the benefits of games. But surveys show that 55% of parents and 80% of teachers cannot find the digital learning tools they are looking for, and high-quality games lack distribution to a broad audience. Join our panelists for a discussion of lessons from the field of games for learning, including which partnerships, marketing strategies and development approaches add up to greater reach and sustainability.