Lecture Notes on Games for Change Festival and Related Topics

Welcome and Introduction

• Hosted by Assi Barack, chairman of the Games for Change board.
• Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Games for Change Festival.
• Reflection on the evolution and growth of games since the festival started in 2004.

Assi Barack's Key Reflections

Evolution of the Medium

• Comparison to early TV; early games were like interactive documentaries.
• Evolution into broader impacts such as FDA-approved games for neurological impacts, citizen science games, etc.

Acceptance and Maturity

• Early skepticism about 'serious games' addressing issues like poverty, human rights.
• Overcoming narrow-minded views of games as only escapism.
• Games can now address a wide range of topics and emotions, showing diversity of impact.

Partnership Announcement: Games for Change and Verizon

• Aimed at providing resources for using gaming and esports in K-12 education.
• Focus on empowering teachers and school leaders to integrate games in classrooms.
• Development of professional development courses and curriculum with Verizon Innovative Learning HQ.

Panel: Queer Games and the Apocalypse

• Discussion on the intersection of queerness and apocalyptic themes in games.
• Emphasize on building and destroying worlds, community, and personal growth through games.
• Presentations by game designers and educators on their work and personal experiences with games and queerness.

Talk by Nandini Chatterjee Singh (UNESCO)

• The role of kindness and emotional competencies in education.
• Games as platforms for developing empathy, mindfulness, and compassion.
• Examples of game-based courses that intertwine narrative games with learning experiences.

Riot Games Social Impact Strategy

• Utilization of UN Sustainable Development Goals to guide social impact strategies.
• An example of global player engagement to identify causes they care about.
• Discussion of the impact of mental health awareness and regional differences in player concerns.

Dungeons & Dragons in Schools

• Shelly Mazzanoble and Dan Rawson discussed curriculum integration of D&D in schools.
• Benefits of D&D include reading, math, empathy, social skills.
• Educators like Cade Wells shared success stories of using D&D for engagement and growth in educational settings.

Closing Remarks

• Importance of community and creativity in gaming.
• Encouragement to explore innovative uses of games in education and social impact.