july, 2021
Event Details
Games For Change
The Games for Change Festival brings its movement back to the heart of New York virtually in 2021.
The Winners of the 2013 National STEM Video Game Challenge at Games for Change | Photo by Allison Mishkin
Hit the streets of Manhattan in New York City to learn about how Games for Change is empowering people all over the world. Celebrating virtually, from July 12 to 14, 2021, over 1,000 people will gather to listen to game creators and social innovators on just how they are using games to change the world. For three days, the festival will offer a platform to discuss and inform about games that help people learn and improve their communities in order to make the world a better place. In the past, speakers have included former Vice President Al Gore and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
The festival will offer three tracks of panels and workshops on the impact of games. The first panel, Neurogaming and Health, explores how games can improve health, fitness and cognitive skills. The Civic and Social Issues panel explores games that help people engage with issues on social justice, human development, the environment, and citizenship. The Games for Learning Summit shows guests how game-based learning has proved to transform education. Guests are also welcome to play the various games that are being discussed.
Games for Change Event in NYC | Photo from Games For Change
Closing Remarks at the 2017 Games for Change | Photo from Games For Change Flickr
Festival Tracks
Civics & Social Issues
Highlighting games that help players engage with contemporary issues on matters of social justice, human development, environment and responsible citizenship. Featured speakers in this track include:
Kate Edwards, CEO & Principal Consultant, Geogrify
Lindsay Grace, Director, American University Game Lab
Alan Gershenfeld, President/Co-Founder, E-Line Media
Games for Learning Summit
Sharing new projects and research that evidence the power of game-based learning to transform education in and out of school. Featured speakers in this track include:
Robert Torres, CSO, Teach the World Foundation
Constance Steinkuehler, Professor, UC, Irvine
Gonzalo Frasca, CDO, DragonBox
Neurogaming & Health
Exploring how games can improve health, fitness, cognitive skills, and mindfulness through interactive experiences and new technologies. Featured speakers in this track include:
Margaret Laws, President & CEO, Hopelab
Kristin Cook, Producer, Sesame Workshop
Zoran Popović, Director, Center for Game Science, University of Washington
Take Amtrak to Games For Change
Experience this incredible festival and all of the games and discussions it offers via Amtrak to Penn Station in New York City—Don’t forget to use the See New York and Save 15% discount!
From Penn Station, take a short ride downtown on the 2 Subway train to 14th St. Station. From there, Parsons New School of Design is about a 6-minute walk east to 13th St. and 5th Ave.
