ESA Foundation Makes Dreams Come The ESA Foundation named its newest generation of scholars in September, selecting 35 women and minority students, who are ready to make their dreams of a career in the video game industry possible. See for yourself by watching their personal videos and reading a few of their reactions below. “In a sense, a video game is a work not only created by its developers and artists, but by the player as well. Because of this, I hope to be able to use the scholarship to help further my programming and artistic skills through my education.” – Felicia Chen, University of Pennsylvania “ESA Foundation, I am so thankful for this generous gift you have given me. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to pursue my dreams. I want to change the world with my games and that won’t happen just by myself, but you guys have given me a chance to make it happen!” –Quiana Dang, University of Southern California The charitable contributions of guests at Nite to Unite 2017 directly empowered the ESA Foundation to expand its scholarship program to 35 students this academic year. Through their generosity and the hard work of the 2017-18 ESA Foundation scholars, the video game industry will continue to become more diverse and inclusive. Over the last 10 years, the ESA Foundation has awarded more than 300 students nearly The ESA Foundation appreciates your continued support in providing young video game innovators with the resources they need to succeed. Grantee Spotlight: Boys & Girls Clubs of America The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston receive a Hurricane Harvey donation from community members. (Image from Instagram - @bgchouston) Inequity in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education holds back students and US innovation. The Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), supported by the ESA Foundation, started a nationwide program to address that inequity. Succeeding in today’s information-based society requires a STEM education, yet most schools, especially those in low-income areas, lack programs that teach students essential STEM skills. With its 2017 ESA Foundation grant, BGCA developed a high-quality training program that will equip staff at 900 clubs with STEM education skills, successfully engaging 500,000 kids and teens in STEM activities. Providing Support After Recent Hurricanes The recent catastrophic hurricanes, Harvey, Irma and Maria, were devastating to several Boys & Girls Clubs in Texas, southern U.S. and Puerto Rico. Relentless in their passion to serve, the clubs continue to meet the needs of their communities, extending their hours to help kids and teens who need a safe place to go. In Houston, clubs throughout the impacted area – including Wharton, Victoria, Beeville, Brazoria, El Campo, Bay City, and Matagorda County – are preparing to deliver programs to children staying in shelters; collecting school supplies, toiletries, and other personal necessities; and facilitating professional counseling. Unfortunately, Hurricane Harvey severely damaged five clubs and completely destroyed another. In these extraordinary times, the ESA Foundation calls on its supporters to donate to the BGCA disaster relief fund, helping clubs damaged by recent hurricanes reopen their doors to provide much needed disaster relief to their communities. Support Boys & Girls Clubs of America Relief Fund by visiting their website today. The Grantee Spotlight highlights the extraordinary efforts of the ESA Foundation grantees that use technology and video games to make a difference in the lives of America’s youth. Q&A: ESA Foundation Grant Recipient Erich Utrie on Video Games in the Classroom Erich Utrie's students participate in one of his interactive classroom lessons. This month, the ESA Foundation spoke with middle school teacher and former Education Challenge Grant recipient Erich Utrie about his experience as a grant recipient and using video games in the classroom. Here's how he answered a question on why he chose video games as an educational tool: Q: What made you use video games in the classroom? Were you a fan of video games growing up? A: I was definitely blessed, I’m 46 years old and I grew up in the golden age of video games. I saw the progression after Pong first broke out all the way to the first time in the early 80’s when Dragon Slayer came out. So yes, I was a huge fan of video games growing up. I still remember when I was either a sophomore or junior in high school when I got my first ColecoVision. I saw the whole transition from when arcade games were a social thing to do – go out to the shopping mall with your friends and try it out and now it’s moved into the home. I like to call that the golden age of video games, so I’ve been a fan of video games for a long time. What brought me to using video games in the classroom? If I could sum up in two parts my teaching philosophy – one, I think anecdotally and the research says learning is more effective when it’s fun. When it’s fun, when motivation is high, that definitely helps capture students. Another thing is engagement. That’s one thing about the nature of video games, you have that culture that has a different viewpoint of failure than everyday people. Failure isn’t, “oh I’m done,” it’s “ok, what do I need to do better next time,” which I think video games really bring in. I think the very first video game I brought into the classroom was from The Oregon Trail series, I think it was The Oregon Trail 3. I still use a version of that, The Oregon Trail 5 in the class today. The next one I brought in was Sim City for a local and state government unit. Those are the two mainstream video games I use in my classroom and have been using them for years. Don't Miss the 20th Anniversary of Nite to Unite! The Nite to Unite (NTU) charity gala celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2018, and it is sure to be a special event. Each year, NTU brings together more than 600 leaders and members of the video game industry to raise financial support for the ESA Foundation’s mission, including its signature scholarship program for women and minority students. Mark your calendars for March 20, 2018, and join your colleagues at the Fairmont San Francisco to celebrate 20 years of making a positive impact on the lives of America’s youth and to ensure the ESA Foundation mission continues for another 20 years. Details will be available on the NTU website soon. Foundation Scholars Talk Video Games at PAX West ESA Foundation scholars Selena Eng (left) and Marlena Rehder (right) speak about their passion for video games. Two ESA Foundation scholars discussed their passion for video games at PAX West in September, as well as what brought them to the Seattle video game conference. “I really like introducing something new,” said 2017-18 scholar Marlena Rehder, an incoming University of Washington student. “I’ve created video games in the past. I was a levels designer, so I like giving people the ability to explore something that’s completely unique.” Dressed as one of her favorite League of Legends characters, 2016-17 scholar and DigiPen Institute of Technology student Selena Eng said girls and minorities are a vital component of the video game industry, powering it up. “Don’t let anything hold you back,” she said. “And if you see all these obstacles in front of you, that’s like 'I can’t do this because I’m a girl' or 'I can’t do this because I’m minority,' then don’t think about that." “Because really, that’s what powers up the gamer community, when you have all these different stories and different backgrounds coming together into a game that we can all relate to. It makes the community a lot bigger and gamers more broad.” Selena and Marlena exemplify how the ESA Foundation’s scholarship program empowers tomorrow’s innovators and creates meaningful, positive impact for America’s youth. For more information about the scholarship program, visit the ESA Foundation website. 2017 SAAM Arcade Draws Large Crowds in the Nation's Capital SAAM Arcade attendees try new and innovative video game titles at the event’s Indie Showcase, located in the Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Nearly 20,000 people visited the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) for its third annual SAAM Arcade August 5 and 6 in Washington, DC. Supported by the ESA Foundation, the event highlights the impact of video games on society and gives independent developers the opportunity to showcase their work alongside one of the world’s premiere art collections. The event also included game-building workshops held by ESA Foundation partners Boolean Girl and the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. See more photos from this action-packed event here. |