ESA KICKS OFF GAME DESIGN COMPETITIONS

Students interested in developing their own video games can submit their designs this month to two recently-launched, national competitions: the National STEM Video Game Challenge and the E3 College Game Competition.

For the third consecutive year, ESA is partnering with organizations including The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and E-Line Media to present the National STEM Video Game Challenge. This year's challenge offers middle and high school students the opportunity to develop educational video games focused on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) topics. Winners will receive an AMD-powered laptop computer equipped with game design and educational software, as well as a $2,000 prize for their school or a nonprofit organization of their choice.

Challenge partners began accepting entries in February, and will continue accepting them through April 24. To help participants get started, the Challenge is hosting regional instructional workshops on game design, and is offering resources such as "Gamestar Mechanic," an online introductory webinar that teaches students basic game design skills and best practices, on its website. Last year's winning games included Archers vs. Aliens, a fast-paced, arcade-style game that tests elementary-level math skills, and The Dark Labryinth, an adventure game that teaches multiplication and division. Student designers can visit the National STEM Video Game Challenge website to learn more about this year's competition and submit entries to the competition.

In addition, ESA launched its inaugural E3 College Game Competition, a unique contest offering colleges and universities with computer and video game development programs the chance to display a student-made game and interact with the industry's leading professionals at E3, the world's premier trade show for computer and video games. Beginning March 15, each participating school can submit one game along with story details and content assets for consideration. A panel of game industry experts and media professionals will choose five finalists, who will travel to E3 2013 in Los Angeles, California. Colleges and universities that are interested in learning more about the competition can email ESA@theESA.com.

These competitions seek to harness students' passion for playing and making video games, drive interest in STEM subjects, and cultivate the innovative future leaders of our 21st century economy.

DIGITAL LIVING PROJECT TO PROMOTE SAFE TECHNOLOGY USE, DIGITAL SKILLS IN LOS ANGELES SCHOOLS

ESA and EverFi, Inc. – with support from California Attorney General Kamala Harris – are partnering to launch the Digital Living Project in middle and high schools across Los Angeles. The initiative is part of a statewide effort to promote safe and responsible online behavior among youth, and will educate students on topics including their digital footprint, privacy, security, cyberbullying, and digital relationships.

The Digital Living Project is a four-hour online curriculum developed by EverFi, a leading educational technology company, for students in 8th and 9th grade. By leveraging interactive games and rich media to engage and inform students, the Digital Living Project teaches online safety and builds digital skills, such as how to create a blog, maintain a responsible social networking profile, and evaluate online research sources for legitimacy.

ESA and EverFi representatives announced the program's launch at Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnet High School, one of 20 schools across Los Angeles that currently utilizes the curriculum. Students were on hand to try out the program, which aligns with national standards established by the International Society for Technology in Education, as well as emerging California state standards. The program will expand to additional schools in 2013.

Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnet High School students trying out ESA and EverFi’s Digital Living Project curriculum.

Attorney General Harris praised the program for helping to address an important need.

"Guidance around safe and responsible online behavior should be a core part of the curriculum in all schools," she said. "Education can help considerably in preventing and dealing with the consequences of cyberbullying and online harassment. I hope we can all affirm that, while the Internet has changed how we interact, it has not fundamentally changed how we should treat one another."

As each generation grows up in an increasingly digital world, initiatives like ESA and EverFi's Digital Living Project can ensure that students' online experiences are safe and secure.

INTERACTIVE GAMES PREPARE PLAYERS FOR NATURAL DISASTERS

In the wake of several recent superstorms that displaced thousands of families, the U.S. government is turning to a video game to help people prepare for future disasters.

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and game publisher Legacy Interactive, with funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency, recently released Disaster Hero, a free online game that teaches families the skills needed to prepare for, survive, and recover from a natural disaster. Players take on the personality of a game show contestant and compete for a chance to be named the new "Disaster Hero" by answering questions about emergency preparedness.

Screenshot from Disaster Hero, a free online game to help families prepare for natural disasters.

The game addresses four main topics: basic preparedness, common disasters and their associated effects, tips for treating common injuries, and information on geographic-specific disasters. In addition to presenting useful disaster information, the game emphasizes three crucial steps for preparedness – make a plan, get a kit, and be informed.

"Preparing your family in advance is the best protection in an emergency," said Dr. Andy Sama, president of ACEP.  "This game is a unique and entertaining approach to teaching families to have an active role in home disaster planning."

Disaster Hero is not the only game available to help prepare families. The United Nations Internal Strategy for Disaster Reduction, the office responsible for implementing the international blueprint for disaster risk reduction, developed Stop Disasters!. The game is designed to raise awareness of natural disasters' significant impact and explain simple precautions that can save lives. In advance of a simulated storm, players must construct buildings with infrastructure that can withstand damage, and strategically communicate with other in-game characters to survive.

A natural disaster can be dangerous for anyone in its path, but these games help ensure every family knows what to do in an emergency.