Join Us in Supporting Next-Generation Game Developers at Nite to Unite 2017Legendary video game creator Sid Meier and Extra Life founder Jeromy Adams will be honored at the 19th Annual Nite to Unite for their contributions to the video game industry and the impact they have made on society. Sid Meier is often heralded as “The Godfather of Computer Games” for his innovative strategy simulation games, including one of the most beloved strategy franchises of all-time, Civilization. Jeromy Adams created the successful Extra Life – a fundraising program that has mobilized a community of gamers to raise more than $30 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals® through gaming marathons. Read our Q&A with Jeromy to learn more about his journey and watch our interview with Sid to hear his perspective on the Civilization series, video games and education. Nite to Unite is the video game industry’s annual event to raise funds in support of scholarships for the next generation of game makers and charitable organizations leveraging the power of interactive software. The annual event will be held on February 28, 2017 in San Francisco, California. Support Nite to Unite!ESA Foundation 2017 Grantees Poised to Reach Nearly 350,000 Kids Nationwide through Video Game Technology Students participate in 2017 grantee Bootstrap's in-school program. On January 31, ESA Foundation announced its 2017 grantees, which comprise six pioneering organizations that use the power of video games and technology to address social challenges and build stronger communities. This year’s grantees include Brown University’s Bootstrap, The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Extra Life, iCivics, the Smithsonian Institution’s American Art Museum, and VisionQuest 20/20. “With ESA Foundation’s support, we’ve been able to grow our impact each year beyond what could have been imagined when we were founded,” said Director of Extra Life Mike Kinney. For more than 15 years, the ESA Foundation has supported organizations leveraging interactive technologies to create meaningful improvements in communities across our country. To learn more about this year’s grantees, visit here. ESA Foundation Supports Video Game Covering the Role of Executive Branch in U.S. Government iCivics offers students civic learning through interactive games and resources. iCivics, which was founded by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to engage students in meaningful civic learning through educational video games and interactive digital tools, successfully released its recently redesigned game, Executive Command. The launch of Executive Command was supported by ESA Foundation and was a two-phased effort, with the first phase helping students understand the process by which we elect our president. This included the development of resources that focused on election day, the role of the new president, and the power of the “lame duck” president. With the conclusion of the first phase, the second phase centers on the first 100 days of the U.S. President, as well as the obligations and responsibilities that must be fulfilled. As part of the second phase, iCivics developed new content to include in its curriculum designed to educate students on the executive branch, including the unique role and powers of the president, and the function of executive departments and agencies. The new content includes a “First 100 Days” lesson plan, an “Agenda” mini-lesson, which takes a look at the development and execution of the presidential agenda, and a “Fill the Cabinet” template to teach the process of cabinet building. The First 100 Days plan was developed to explain the history behind the first 100 days, the duties of the president, and what may impact the success of the president’s first 100 days in office. ESA Foundation is a long-standing partner of iCivics, which uses educational video games to teach students how government works and how they can participate in civic life. To learn more about the resources created by iCivics to educate students about the powers of the presidency and what it means to have a successful first 100 days, visit here. You can also join iCivics on February 20 for a President’s Day Twitter chat on “Teaching the First 100 Days of Office,” using the hashtag #sschat. You can support the ESA Foundation by donating through Network for Good. Click here to donate. ESA Foundation Co-Hosts Coding Event with Boolean Girl Students learn how to code at the Boolean Girl event. ESA Foundation, in partnership with ESA, co-hosted the Boolean Girl coding program for the Boolean Box Kickstarter Kickoff event in its Washington D.C. office on January 7. The event was designed to promote Boolean Girl’s new “Boolean Box,” a tech discovery and coding kit, which introduces young girls (and boys) to computer programming. Parents were also encouraged to participate in the coding lessons. As part of the program, Dr. Lisa Singh, Associate Professor and the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Computer Science at Georgetown University, discussed STEM careers with the participating students. “We are thrilled to co-host this event, which promotes STEM education for girls and fosters inclusion and equality, both of which lie at the center of our efforts to create meaningful opportunities for America’s youth,” said Anastasia Staten, executive director of the ESA Foundation. To see photos from the event, visit here. |