Brief Overview

The act of playing games is beneficial to kids in raising their IQ scores and making learning enjoyable. New core standards have decreased the amount of time dedicated for student play. With invaluable guidance from experienced educators, we are working to create opportunities to bring games back into students' lives. We are developing several game-specific lesson plans teachers can use in their classrooms, we are partnering with UNO College of Education students and faculty to help train future educators on incorporating play in the classroom, and we have several board game day-camps for students throughout the year. Last year we cosponsored with Film Streams the documentary film "World Peace and Other Fourth Grade Achievements" and held several family game nights as part of the KANEKO's interactive PLAY exhibit.

Goals

Short term (Inspire)

• Use resources such as lesson plans to inspire teachers to gamify (use games as learning and assessment tools) classrooms.
• Use Day Camps to inspire students to see games as a way to learn thinking and social skills.
• • Documentation (surveys, exemplification) is critical during this phase to have something tangible to show potential investors.

Mid term (Initiate)

• Empower educators to create their own resources to make play and games a centerpiece of their classrooms. Educators can also show their building and district leaders a practical plan for games and play embedded in curricula.
• Guide students in the creation of their own Game Clubs and Community Clubs that can craft social learning environments.

Long term (Integrate)

• Transform the teaching profession to view gamification and play-based learning as essential components of curricula. Systemic changes must include teachers and building and district administrators leading teachers in professional development about gamification and play-based learning.
• Students develop inclusive communities of young people coming together around games. It may also include the development of scholarships to break down economic and social barriers. We want children to feel that Spielbound is a top choice for their social time.

Dream Goal

• Develop a Spielmobile to break down transportation barriers and bring games to students and professional educators.

Events

Discussion panel after the documentary, 'World Peace and Other Fourth Grade Achievements' at Film Streams.

• March 9, 2015: discussion of 'World Peace and Other Fourth Grade Achievements' at Film Streams
• July 16, 2015: KANEKO Social game night
• July 30, 2015: KANEKO Strategy game night
• August 11, 2015: KANEKO Cooperative game night