Games For Change Student Challenge
The competition gives students the opportunity to collaborate with game design and subject-area experts to produce a working video game on a chosen topic.
The National Endowment for the Humanities is proud to be a lead sponsor of the second annual Games for Change Student Challenge. The competition, launched in October 2016, will give middle and high school students in New York City, Pittsburgh, and Dallas the opportunity to collaborate with game design and subject-area experts to produce a working video game on a chosen topic.
This year, NEH is sponsoring one of the Challenge’s three themes: Local Histories & Immigrant Voices. This theme will pair students and educators with scholars and institutions such as the New York Historical Society, the Heinz Center, and Texas Humanities to explore the process of designing games that address and interpret local histories, cultures, and events. Students will be encouraged to explore their communities, investigate stories of neighborhood people and places, immerse themselves in the cultural output of their region—art, literature, music—and connect their personal experiences to the broader histories of the places they live.
Games, mobile applications, and other interactive platforms offer myriad opportunities for creative public engagement with humanities content. NEH began re-envisioning our grant offerings to foster the use of new digital technologies over a decade ago. The Endowment’s support for the 2016-2017 Games for Change Student Challenge is part of our ongoing effort to provide national leadership to our grantees as they move into the digital age.
"The Games for Change Student Challenge offers a wonderful chance for students and educators to explore the possibilities of meshing STEM and humanities learning in engaging, innovative ways,” said NEH Chairman William Adams. “It is, in every sense of the word, a groundbreaking program, and NEH is thrilled to be a part of it."
The Challenge program includes teacher training sessions, student game making courses, and hands-on workshops where students can learn more about the themes from local experts. Game submissions will be due in spring 2017 and a jury of top game developers, civic leaders, and social innovators will select the winners in May 2017. More information on the Challenge is available on G4C’s website here.