🎥 Dive into #G4C2024 Highlights, Esports League, Game Plan, & Educator Resources! 🚀

Catch Up on G4C2024 Highlights and Get Ready for New Learning and Gaming Opportunities

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Games for Change
August 09, 2024

The energy from #G4C2024 is still buzzing, and we have the highlights to prove it! But we’re not stopping there – Game Plan professional development is BACK for STEM and out-of-school educators, while our new Verizon Esports League is ready to level up your teaching game. Speaking of leveling up, our new “Diverse Voices, New Stories” challenge is waiting for your submission! Oh, and we’re making moves at SXSW EDU – your support could be the game-changer! So, set aside Darkest Dungeon 2 for a moment and dive into this month’s G4C news.

— Team G4C

Ready to relive the excitement of #G4C2024? Great news! A collection of main stage sessions are now available on our YouTube Channel. We’re introducing #G4CFestFridays – every week, we’ll release a new set of sessions, so stay tuned! Dive into our curated playlist featuring discussions that explore the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in relation to video games, immersive media, and innovative tech’s role in driving positive change. You’ll find engaging panels, workshops, insightful fireside chats, and inspiring talks from the festival!

Click below to explore how gaming shapes a better world. Share with your network and join us in uncovering the power of games for social change!

Games for Change is thrilled to announce a brand new FREE games and learning resource hub on Verizon Innovative Learning HQ! Designed for educators, school leaders, and district leaders, this hub showcases the power of game design, esports, and gaming in the classroom. Games for Change resources include:

📗 District Leader Series: Learn about games, esports, and how to integrate them at a district level
📘 School Leader Series: Delve into the positive impact of games and esports and how to integrate them at a school level
📕 Educator Series: Master game design basics, understand impactful learning game design and dive into the world of esports


Plus, explore more free resources: 

🕹️ Learning Games Arcade: Explore our impactful games catalog with resources
🎤 Voices from the Field: Listen to interviews with gaming industry professionals and experts
🧰 Playforce Toolkit: Unlock our insightful resources for running positive social gaming clubs

In addition to the new resource hub, we’re excited to announce the Verizon Innovative Learning Esports League, a FREE program for high schools nationwide. This league combines gaming with well-being and social-emotional learning in a safe environment. Students will compete in Rocket League, often described as “soccer with cars,” in teams of 3. Trained coaches from Vanta Esports will support educators and students throughout the September to December season. The program offers educator training, student growth opportunities, and career mentorship in esports and technology. Get ready to level up your education through the power of esports!

Dive deeper into game-based instruction with Game Plan! Led by expert game designers and learning specialists, this program empowers educators to harness the power of games for meaningful youth engagement. Join a national cohort of cross-sector educators and become an expert in using games for good in your unique setting. 🎮️ 

This Fall, we’re offering two cohorts: STEM educators (Tuesdays, 7-9 PM EST) and out-of-school educators (Tuesdays, 12-2 PM EST), from September 24 to November 19, 2024. Participants receive virtual professional development, access to a supportive national community, free curriculum guides, and a $500 stipend!

Ready to level up your teaching through the magic of game design? Apply by August 30, 2024, and transform your educational approach! 🚀 

In case you missed it, at #G4C2024 we announced that the Diverse Voices, New Stories is back for its third round! This Challenge is designed to increase visibility for games developed by underrepresented creators worldwide — helping players discover amazing games on the Google Play Store that highlight diverse characters, unique voices, and untold stories. Up to three winners have a chance to win a $15,000 cash prize and more. The deadline to submit your project is September 6, 2024. 🌍 📲 

Ready for a game night at SXSW EDU 2025? Games for Change is hoping to bring our educator community to Austin this March for a dynamic meetup centered on games, game design, and game-based learning. Join Games for Change for an engaging play-based event where we’ll explore both analog and digital games with a purpose. Recharge your conference energy, explore Games for Change’s educational programs, and connect with like-minded educators who are looking to harness the power of games in their teaching practice. This meetup will showcase how games can transform learning and impact. 🎮

Support our meetup by voting! Click the link below and select “Vote Up.” You’ll need to create an account, which takes less than a minute. The last date to vote is August 18.

  • Learn how Susanna Pollack, President of Games for Change, uses game design and collaboration to drive social impact and diversity. Read more here.

  • Explore how Mattel is making its colorful card games, like Uno, accessible to players with color blindness in this Fast Company article.

  • Discover how the gaming industry offers impact investors like the TTC Group ways to drive positive social change by exploring serious games in this Impact Investor article.

  • Check out how the game “Variant: Limits” increased students' knowledge of limits and helped improve outcomes for their calculus studies, a prerequisite for STEM degrees in this Texas A&M Today article.

  • Learn more about the United Nations’s Playing for the Planet with Lisa Pak and explore climate change and its relationship with the games industry.

  • The IOC is launching the Olympic Esports Games in 2025 in Saudi Arabia, marking a new era in digital esports. Learn more in this Olympics article.

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