[game_edu] National STEM Video Game Challenge

[Susan Gold]

Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and E-Line Media to Award  
Youth and Developers Prizes for Creating STEM Based Video Games


New York, NY, September 16, 2010 – President Obama announced today the  
launch of the National STEM Video Game Challenge at a White House  
event as part of the national “Educate to Innovate” campaign. The  
Challenge aims to motivate interest in science, technology,  
engineering, and math (STEM) learning by tapping into students’  
natural passion for playing and making video games. The first annual  
competition is being held by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame  
Workshop and E-Line Media in partnership with sponsors AMD Foundation,  
Entertainment Software Association and Microsoft. Founding outreach  
partners include the American Library Association, Boys & Girls Clubs  
of America, The International Game Developers Association and BrainPOP.

"Our success as a nation depends on strengthening America’s role as  
the world’s engine of discovery and innovation," said President Obama.  
"I applaud partners in the National STEM Video Game Challenge for  
lending their resources, expertise, and their enthusiasm to the task  
of strengthening America’s leadership in the 21st century by improving  
education in science, technology, engineering and math."

The National STEM Video Game Challenge features two competitions:

The Youth Prize aims to engage middle school students (grades 5  
through 8) in STEM learning by challenging them to design original  
video games. The Challenge will be open to students from any U.S.  
school with a special emphasis on reaching students in underserved  
urban and rural communities. The total prize pool will be $50,000. The  
winners will receive AMD-based laptops, game design books, and other  
tools to support their skill development. Cash prizes and educational  
software will also be awarded to the winning students’ sponsoring  
organization with additional prize money for underserved communities.
The Developer Prize challenges emerging and experienced game  
developers to design original games for young children (grades pre-K  
through 4) that teach key STEM concepts and foster an interest in STEM  
subject areas. The Challenge will feature a special prize for  
developers actively enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program  
in the U.S. Special emphasis will be placed on technologies that have  
high potential to reach underserved communities, such as games built  
for basic mobile phones that address urgent educational needs among at- 
risk youth. Developers will be competing for a grand prize of $50,000.  
Two prizes of $25,000 each will be awarded to the top entry submitted  
on the collegiate level, as well as the top entry for reaching  
underserved communities.
The National STEM Video Game Challenge will accept entries from  
October 12, 2010 through January 5, 2011. Complete guidelines and  
details on how to enter are available at www.cooneycenterprizes.org  
and atwww.stemchallenge.org/youthprize.

“Children of all ages are immersed in technology—today’s kids spend as  
much time with digital media as they do in school. With the need to  
make learning both more engaging and productive we need some real game  
changers,” said Michael Levine, executive Executive Ddirector of the  
Joan Ganz Cooney Center. “The National STEM Video Game Challenge will  
encourage entrepreneurs and students to develop bold designs to  
promote academic excellence. The Cooney Center and E Line Media are  
delighted that national leaders in policy, practice and philanthropy  
are investing in video games’ potential to help change the equation.”

"Video games are improving and advancing the way Americans are living,  
working and playing,” said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of  
the ESA, the trade association that represents U.S. computer and video  
game publishers. “The acknowledgement and appreciation of President  
Obama, our partners in this campaign and leading child advocates, is a  
strong endorsement of the amazing potential and benefit that games can  
have on children.”

“Video game development is an exceptional learning experience for  
youth because it’s rooted in something they are already passionate  
about and allows learning to happen naturally,” said Allyson Peerman,  
corporate vice president of AMD Public Affairs and president, AMD  
Foundation. “AMD is proud to participate in the inaugural National  
STEM Video Game competition. The contest aligns with AMD’s signature  
education initiative, AMD Changing the Game, a program that encourages  
teens to learn valuable STEM skills and become more globally conscious  
citizens by developing games with social content.”

Game-based learning has emerged as one of the most promising areas of  
innovation in making critical STEM skills more engaging for America’s  
youth. Research has demonstrated that playing and making video games  
fosters the development of critical thinking and design skills,  
problem-solving and builds motivation for pursuing STEM related  
subjects and careers. The competition responds to major national  
educational challenges including inadequate skill levels in the  
workplace and an ever-widening achievement gap between the U.S. and  
other developed nations, especially in STEM skills.

The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop is an independent, non- 
profit research center that is fostering innovation in children’s  
learning through digital media. The Cooney Center conducts and  
supports research, creates educational models and interactive media  
properties and builds cross-sector partnerships. The Cooney Center is  
named for Sesame Workshop's founder, who revolutionized television  
with the creation of Sesame Street. Core funding is provided by the  
generous support of Peter G. Peterson, Genius Products, Mattel, Inc.  
and Sesame Workshop.

E-Line Media is a publisher of digital entertainment that engages,  
educates and empowers with a core focus on computer/video games and  
webcomics/graphic novels. The E-Line team of digital media executives  
and social entrepreneurs are committed to harnessing the power of  
digital entertainment for meaningful learning, health and social  
impact. Find out more at http://www.elinemedia.com/.

The Entertainment Software Association is the U.S. association  
dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of  
companies publishing interactive games for video game consoles,  
handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet. The ESA offers  
services to interactive entertainment software publishers including a  
global anti-piracy program, owning the E3 Expo, business and consumer  
research, federal and state government relations, First Amendment and  
intellectual property protection efforts. For more information, please  
visit www.theESA.com.



-- 
Susan Gold
In a completely sane world, madness is the only freedom!
- J. G. Ballard







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