SCIENCE

AMD has announced the AMD Foundation, in collaboration with the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and Scholastic has created Level Up!, a comprehensive online teaching resource providing curricula and tools for middle and high school educators working to improve science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) and language arts skills—all while students design video games. The site, which is designed to capture students’ interests while they learn, represents the second time AMD and the Alliance have teamed up as part of AMD’s education initiative, AMD Changing the Game.

Level Up! is one of the most comprehensive sites of its kind, offering free, practical curriculum and tools for teaching video game design to middle and high school students. The site scholastic.com is hosted by Scholastic, the title corporate sponsor and founder of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the country’s oldest and most prestigious program recognizing young creative teen talent. The site incorporates beginner and intermediate levels, allowing easy use for new and seasoned teachers alike, as well as informational videos, sample student-produced games, and spotlights on tools, classroom-based lessons, and resources. Level Up! features two game design teaching tools: Gamestar Mechanic is designed for beginner to intermediate levels, and Activate! is designed for intermediate to advanced levels.

“Video game design is an excellent but underutilized educational tool,” said Allyson Peerman, President, AMD Foundation. “Through AMD’s collaboration with the Alliance and Scholastic, we are now able to deliver valuable resources to thousands of teachers and youth experts across the country.”

The AMD/Alliance Relationship

AMD’s relationship with the Alliance is an outgrowth of its signature education initiative AMD Changing the Game. The AMD program is designed to promote the use of youth game development as a tool to inspire learning and improve science, technology, education and math (STEM) skills.

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers is a nonprofit organization that runs the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, recognizing and supporting teenagers’ intellectual creativity, innovation and artistic talent. Last year, with sponsorship from AMD, the Alliance launched a video game design category in the Awards competition, and in doing so, highlighted the value of game design to teachers and students. One goal of Level Up! is to increase awareness in the educational community about the potential of new technologies and the importance of investing resources in this field.

“We know that teachers are looking for new classroom tools but increasingly face tight budgets and packed schedules,” said Virginia McEnerney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. “The Level Up! web site addresses these challenges by delivering a robust resource and curriculum that teachers can use on day one.”

During its 88-year history, The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards has recognized more than 13 million creative teenagers, including Andy Warhol, Robert Redford, Zac Posen, and Sylvia Plath. In the 2011 program year, the Alliance received more than 500 student submissions for its video game design category.

AMD Changing the Game

AMD Changing the Game is designed to take gaming beyond entertainment and inspire youth to learn critical education and life skills by equipping them to create digital games with social content. The program’s purpose is to promote the use of youth game development as a tool to inspire learning and improve science, technology, education and math (STEM) skills. The initiative is rooted in AMD’s commitment to and experience in supporting education, and the company’s passion and expertise in the graphics processor and gaming industries.

Since its launch in June 2008, AMD Changing the Game has:

• Funded 26 programs by 20 organizations in the United States, China and Malaysia that enable youth game development
• Co-sponsored the U.S. National STEM Video Game Challenge and joined Change the Equation in support of the US Educate to Innovate campaign.
• Funded the creation and implementation of the Game Tech program at 10 chapters of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) nationwide.
• Funded the development of the World Wide Workshop Foundation’s Globaloria game-design program for the Southwest Key’s East Austin College Prep Academy in 2009 and 2010.
• Co-sponsored the Malaysian Cybergames Festival 2010, including the “Dare to Create” digital game design and development workshop
• Funded the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers new video game design category for the 2010 and 2011 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
• Funded Schmahl Science Workshop’s program to develop a sustainable fishing video game to communicate the danger of over fishing to long-term human survival
• Co-sponsored the 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 Games for Change Festival.