25,000 reasons to channel your inner teacher
Do you spend hours on Facebook, playing FarmVille and Mafia Wars? Do you ever think you could create an application that would inspire such devotion among an audience?
Well, here’s your opportunity. Zynga, the company responsible for two of the most popular Facebook apps, is teaming up with Hidden Agenda to sponsor a contest for individuals or teams of up to eight full-time undergraduate or graduate students to create a fun way for high schoolers to learn.
Children across the country are falling through the cracks of the education system. Unfortunately, many school districts lack the resources needed to educate their students while others limit their students by using only traditional methods of teaching, which can leave many children behind.
Hidden Agenda, a nonprofit foundation based in Austin, Texas, seeks to rectify this problem. Established in 2003, the foundation was originally designed to facilitate the development of educational online video games.
“Everyone has the right to a great education,” said Lauren Davis, executive director of Hidden Agenda. “But so few people are getting it, whether it’s for socioeconomic reasons or learning methods. Education is the number one thing that leads to success. We can use technology to keep kids engaged and to help them learn.”
That initial year, Hidden Agenda started the first contest for educational video game development when it asked college students around the country to work throughout the school year to build the best games possible for middle school students. The prize, $25,000 cash, was awarded for the most educational, entertaining, and innovative video game.
Since then, winners have included Elemental, a game similar to Tetris where players combine elements in various ways that educate them about the periodic table, and AlebraAracade, where players make their way through a maze while collecting numbers and symbols that help them solve puzzles in order to win points.
This year, Hidden Agenda decided to switch platforms, moving to where their audience hangs out the most.
“We’ve always been ahead of the curb,” Davis said. “And we are trying to stay that way. Kids are spending more time on Facebook. We want to stay current and connect with them.”
Davis also believes that by joining forces with Zynga, the contest should entice more applicants who might soon be looking for jobs. Zynga is providing the $25,000 cash award as well as serving as an advisor.
“Zynga is always looking for the top talent at universities,” Davis said. “They are growing rapidly and this is a great opportunity [for applicants] to display [their] work.”
In the past, participants have been allowed to choose their school subject. This year, however, the subject will be chosen through a vote of the people. The only requirement is that it’s a high school subject in every state in the union. You can vote on the discussion board from now through Dec. 15, when Hidden Agenda will announce the official subject. Applications are due Jan. 15. A panel, including representatives from Zynga and Hidden Agenda as well as students and teachers, will select the winner.
Category: Tech & Science
