Treat Yourself to October’s Big Announcements 🍬👾🎃

_{Level Up Your Game Design Skills with Free Courses on the G4C Learning Center}

_{Whether you’re a student discovering the art of game design or an educator looking to bring play-based learning into your classroom, the G4C Learning Center is here for you! These free, self-paced courses help you grow your skills and creativity, all while exploring how games can spark problem-solving, collaboration, and real-world impact. No prior experience required!}

_{Here are a few of the free courses you can start today}🌟_:

💡 _{Introduction to Games and Learning: Explore the principles of game design, gameplay, and game-based learning through interactive, real-world examples.} 

_{🎮 Playtesting with Purpose: Discover the essentials of playtesting and learn how to gather and apply feedback to make your game stronger. This course breaks down the “who, what, where, when, why, and how of effective playtesting, helping you refine your ideas through iteration and create a more engaging final game.}

🚀 _{Career Pathways in Games: Dive into the many career opportunities within the gaming industry through flexible, ready-to-use lessons that help students discover roles, build skills, and get inspired to become the next generation of game creators.}

_{With the 2025–2026 Student Challenge now underway, these courses are the perfect foundation for bringing your games to life. Youth ages 10–25 can design original games tackling social issues for the chance to win prizes, gain global recognition, and even compete for a $10,000 scholarship.}

_{To help you get started, we’ve released a new resource to guide every step of your design journey.}

📖 _{The 2025 - 2026 Student Challenge Handbook
Ready to bring your ideas to life? The official G4C Student Challenge Handbook is now live — your all-in-one resource for everything you need to create, submit, and shine. Inside you’ll find:}

• _{Competition rules, eligibility checklists, and award categories (including Best Game Trailer and the Tim LeTourneau Gameplay Award)}

• _{Tips, resources, and FAQs to help you stay on track through March 30, 2026}

_{Start your game design journey and get ready to create impact through play.}

_{Play It Forward : 2025 Streamathon | November 14th, 2-8 PM ET}

_{Mark your calendars for Games for Change’s first-ever streamathon featuring six hours of live gameplay. Join  Kahlief Adams, NinePointFive, MayhemMermaid, and Ashlinaa as they showcase G4C Award winners and games tackling meaningful challenges. Expect special guests, interactive moments, and plenty of surprises as we explore how games drive change.}

_{The event supports G4C programs that empower youth, educators, and creators to use games to learn, improve their communities, and make the world a better place! Save the date, and let’s play it forward, together.}

• _{Learn about a gamer’s journey of recovering from a debilitating hand condition and rekindling their love for exploration through Silksong, showing how games can be both challenging and healing tools.}

  _{Read more here}

• _{Explore two new case studies highlighting the power of XR storytelling to inspire action on perceptions of nuclear threats and showcase the intersection of art and technology.}

  _{View Full Case Study}

• _{Discover how Susanna Pollack, G4C President, helped transform games into powerful tools for learning, wellbeing, and social change in Vision for the Future.}

• _{Check out Owlcat Games’ new GameDev Learning Drop — a free educational hub featuring 350+ curated resources, tutorials, and tools designed to support aspiring and professional game developers. Learn more here}

• _{The Nobel Peace Center has released free classroom resources exploring this year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Maria Corina Machado, and her fight for democracy in Venezuela — complete with lessons, activities, and reflection tools for educators worldwide. Explore here.}