The winners of the 2013 National STEM Video Game Challenge at the 11th Annual Games for Change Award Ceremony held at NYU’s Skirball Center. Photo by Allison Mishkin
The photo above was taken on April 23, 2014 at NYU’s Skirball Center at the 11th Annual Games for Change Festival Awards Ceremony as these fourteen young people from all over the country were being honored for their achievements as winners of the 2013 National STEM Video Game Challenge.
Gaming has touched the current generation of learners in a new way. The 2013 National STEM Video Game Design Challenge challenged enthusiastic students around the country to look under the hood of the games they play every day and to create their own. Entries were judged against three criteria (engaging gameplay, innovative/creative vision, well-balanced game play) and by design the competition encourages students to engage with a variety of tools available to them, such as Gamestar Mechanic, Scratch, and Kodu. After the competition ends, it’s expected that students will bring these tools and ideas back to their learning communities.
These enterprising and creative young students also have a gift for helping their peers learn about subjects they are themselves deeply interested in. Look closely at the entries from the 2013 Challenge and you’ll find games that teach physics, French and Spanish vocabulary, and environmentalism. We’re proud of the hard work that these students have put into their winning games and have high hopes for their very bright futures.
Photos from the student winners’ day in New York and the Games for Change Ceremony:
Information about the 2014 Challenge will be announced in the fall.