April 10, 2012
By Joliz Cedeño
Nonprofit Commons posted a write up of a recent visit from Global Kids. Check it out!
Barry Joseph of Global Kids recently came to visit the Nonprofit Commons to discuss the potential of gaming for social change. It has become increasingly popular in gaming to blend fantasy-based solutions with real-life social issues. And organizations like Global Kids, Gamestar Mechanic,Games for Change, and the AMD Foundation have been leading the way.
Global Kids’ Online Leadership Program
Global Kids is a nonprofit educational organization for global learning and youth development. They work “to ensure that urban youth have the knowledge, skills, experiences, and values they need to succeed in school, participate effectively in the democratic process, and achieve leadership in their communities and on the global stage.”
Joseph’s initiative, the Online Leadership Program, integrates a “youth development approach when tackling international and public policy issues with youth media programs that build digital literacy, foster substantive online dialogues, develop resources for educators, and promote civic participation.”
The Playing 4 Peace Challenge
The Online Leadership Program has been working with youth in New York City to design video games for 10 years now. This time around, they’ve partnered with Gamestar Mechanic and AMD to bring together the Playing 4 Peace Challenge.
“Over March and April, youth can go to Gamestar Mechanic, design your own game, and submit it,” explained Joseph. “In May, one youth will win a new laptop with other cool prizes. But more importantly, scores of good games will be produced, by youth, judged by youth, for youth, on the topic of peace.”
As academics, activists — and even gamers of old — harness and reinvent the power of gaming as a new medium for social change, kids will keep imagining and designing a better world for us all. For all of you awaiting the arrival of the next revolution to begin with a bang, behold! It just may begin with the sound of powering on a video game.
Alexandra Bezdikian
Online Community Coordinator
TechSoup Global
@alebez
http://flavors.me/techsoup
Barry Joseph of Global Kids recently came to visit the Nonprofit Commons to discuss the potential of gaming for social change. It has become increasingly popular in gaming to blend fantasy-based solutions with real-life social issues. And organizations like Global Kids, Gamestar Mechanic,Games for Change, and the AMD Foundation have been leading the way.
Global Kids’ Online Leadership Program
Global Kids is a nonprofit educational organization for global learning and youth development. They work “to ensure that urban youth have the knowledge, skills, experiences, and values they need to succeed in school, participate effectively in the democratic process, and achieve leadership in their communities and on the global stage.”
Joseph’s initiative, the Online Leadership Program, integrates a “youth development approach when tackling international and public policy issues with youth media programs that build digital literacy, foster substantive online dialogues, develop resources for educators, and promote civic participation.”
The Playing 4 Peace Challenge
The Online Leadership Program has been working with youth in New York City to design video games for 10 years now. This time around, they’ve partnered with Gamestar Mechanic and AMD to bring together the Playing 4 Peace Challenge.
“Over March and April, youth can go to Gamestar Mechanic, design your own game, and submit it,” explained Joseph. “In May, one youth will win a new laptop with other cool prizes. But more importantly, scores of good games will be produced, by youth, judged by youth, for youth, on the topic of peace.”
As academics, activists — and even gamers of old — harness and reinvent the power of gaming as a new medium for social change, kids will keep imagining and designing a better world for us all. For all of you awaiting the arrival of the next revolution to begin with a bang, behold! It just may begin with the sound of powering on a video game.
Alexandra Bezdikian
Online Community Coordinator
TechSoup Global
@alebez
http://flavors.me/techsoup
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