www.esafoundation.org

Now that 2015 is in full swing, the ESA Foundation has several exciting updates to share.

This past month, we announced our 2015 grantees, which represent eight organizations that exemplify the ESA Foundation’s mission to improve the lives of children across the U.S., through interactive entertainment technology. The grantees’ programs range from using video games for vision screenings in schools to offering hands-on game design workshops for girls.

Read more about our 2015 grantees and their programs.

In this newsletter, we shine a spotlight on two of our grantees: VisionQuest 20/20 and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children – and catch up with Liz Fiacco, an ESA Foundation Scholarship recipient. Be sure to read our recap of the Education Summit at this year’s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, Calif.

As always, for more news and updates on ESA Foundation programming and grantee activities, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

With appreciation,

Jenny Lai
Vice President, ESA Foundation

ESA Foundation Opens Grant, Scholarship Application Period

Our grant and scholarship programs are now open!

• The ESA Foundation Scholarship assists women and minority students who are pursuing computer and video game degrees at accredited, four-year colleges and universities in the U.S.
• The ESA Foundation Grant supports organizations that leverage interactive software to make a positive impact in our communities and the lives of American youth.

The scholarship application closes May 29 and the grant application closes May 15.

Visit the ESA website to apply for a grant or scholarship and learn more about the process.

2015 Grantees of the Month

VisionQuest 20/20

With undetected vision disorders affecting nearly five million children across the nation, VisionQuest 20/20 seeks to harness the power of educational technology to help establish a nationwide vision screening program and provide exceptional eye care to school children in the U.S.

A student plays EyeSpy 20/20 during a routine eye examination.

VisionQuest 20/20 was co-founded in 2003 by electrical and computer engineer Richard Tirendi and ophthalmologist Dr. James O’Neil; both were personally and professionally impacted by vision disorders. Since then, they have worked tirelessly to provide a safe and affordable way to detect vision deficits in children at an early stage.

Their newest screening system is an interactive game called EyeSpy 20/20; the only screening system that tests visual acuity, depth perception and color vision. Today, nearly 300,000 school children have been accurately screened by the reliable and revolutionary software. With support from the ESA Foundation, VisionQuest will provide EyeSpy 20/20 software and related supplies and trainings to more than 30 schools to help them conduct free, unlimited screenings. 

Check out co-founder Richard Tirendi’s discussion of the mission of VisionQuest on NBC’s Nightly News here.

Where Are They Now? – Liz Fiacco, ESA Foundation Scholarship Recipient

The ESA Foundation provides financial support to students interested in exploring video game design and development at accredited four-year universities and colleges across the nation. Many of these students land a job in the growing video game industry, launch their own video games, or in the case of Liz Fiacco, create their own company.

2009-2011 ESA Foundation Scholarship recipient Liz Fiacco.

Liz Fiacco is a 2009-2011 ESA Foundation scholarship recipient who received her Digital Arts and Game Development degree in 2012 from Chapman University in Orange, Calif. Immediately after graduation, she co-founded Fallstreak Studio, a video game development studio that develops games to equip players with skills to overcome challenges inside and outside the game universe.

“As a medium, video games are incredibly new,” said Fiacco. “Their potential has only just been scratched. I’ve been driven by the potential of video games to touch audiences in a personal way because they are not just observed, they are experienced.”

Fiacco said the support she received from the ESA Foundation Scholarship gave her the financial freedom she needed to make her dream of owning a video game studio a reality, because she didn’t end up in student loan debt.

A native of the Northeast, Fiacco said she would not have received the same opportunities and connections with industry professionals if she were unable to live and study in Southern California. The state hosts a variety of game development and design companies and boasts some of the best video game programs and degrees at distinguished universities across the state.

According to a report from the ESA, California is the largest employer of entertainment software personnel, accounting for approximately 41 percent of the total number of employees in the U.S. as a whole.

Watch Liz discuss video games’ potential to help students develop real-world skills at TEDxChapman University here.

2015 Grantees of the Month

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Since 1984, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) has served as the nation’s clearinghouse on issues related to missing and sexually exploited children. Now with better public awareness, training, laws and technology, the recovery rate of missing children jumped from 62 percent in 1990 to more than 97 percent today.

NCMEC’s offerings include NetSmartz Kids Monthly Club – Use Your Netsmartz (UYN).The interactive, educational program provides age-appropriate resources to help teach children Internet safety. Every month, Club UYN releases new resources and activities including games, videos and activity cards. The ESA Foundation Grant will help support these programs and prevention materials in 2015 and will allow NCMEC to continue offering these resources for free.

Visit NCMEC’s website to learn more about its NetSmartz programs and resources.

Education Summit Draws Big Names at Game Developers Conference

This past month, thousands of industry leaders, business executives, producers and educators flocked to San Francisco, Calif., for the annual Game Developers Conference (GDC), the world’s largest and longest running professionals-only video game industry event. This year’s conference boasted more than 400 lectures, panels, tutorials and roundtable discussions over a four-day period. The first two days consisted of the Education Summit, where educators and developers discussed the role and power of video game technology in education and how it will positively influence the next generation of students.

Tracy Fullerton, Director of the University of Southern California Game Innovation Lab, focused on elevating the conversation about games in academia. Fullerton presented the results of a survey conducted by the Higher Education Video Game Alliance, which investigated the fields of game design, development and research. Highlighted sessions included “Increasing Gender Diversity in Game Development Programs,” “Socially Responsible Game Education” and “Teaching Beyond the Industry.”

Access the full line-up here.