Growing to the thousands of attendees and general public that will encounter the games, ideas, and fun that are a part of this year’s Games for Change Festival hasn’t been easy. Asi Burak, president of Games for Change reflected on the growth that the organization and the movementhas experienced over the past decade.
Emphasizing Action
As an academic, so much of my time at conferences is spent either presenting to a largely passive audience or quietly consuming (or daydreaming) other people’s panels, lectures, and posters. Sure, the conference space can be enlivened through engaging activity and digital dialogue, butconferences are places I spend a lot of professional energy that can occasionally feel unfulfilling. In contrast, I’m enthused by how Games For Change is intentionally a festival. Games, creativity, ingenuity are aspects to celebrate. Challenging social justice topics globally through gaming is such a different stance for crowd participation and is one of the biggest appeals to me about being a Games for Change participant. Further, as Asi mentions in the video above, a focus on games and learning in U.S. schools will be of particular interest to DML (digital media and learning) attendees.
Taking place in New York April 21-25, the Games for Change festival looks to be a destination to ignite inspiration for classroom practices and to network around games, learning, and social justice.
Banner image: Games for Change
