Computer processor manufacturer AMD today announces their new initiative "Changing the Game" that provides support for non-profits applying gaming technology to address social concerns.  Global Kids is proud to be one of the recipients of one of the grants to support our program "Playing 4 Keeps," that engages a group of New York teens in a particular social issue by having them develop a computer game on that issue.  See the GK website for more information about "Playing 4 Keeps."

Check the video at this link, which features several GK staff and students, including my colleagues Barry, Jay, Radhika and Christina!

The full press release from AMD follows…

AMD Foundation Launches ”AMD Changing the Game”
   

New Initiative Designed to Enhance Education Through Game Development
   

AMD Changing the Game is a natural fit for AMD, which features products powering the visual experience of the two most popular gaming consoles in the world today¹ and which recently launched AMD GAME!, a program designed to help consumers select perfectly suited PCs for high-definition gaming.
   

“We have a tremendous opportunity to harness the passion that kids have for gaming while teaching the skills they need to be successful in our 21^st Century digital economy,” said Dirk Meyer, AMD president and chief operating officer.
 

In addition to technical skills such as science, technology, engineering and math, digital games can be used to help teach youth how to be more engaged citizens, to see conflict from another’s viewpoint and find positive ways to respond to challenging social issues such as poverty, hunger, disease, energy conservation, water use and global warming.
   

“Today’s youth are
highly concerned about social issues and the current generation of youth gamers is among the most socially conscious in history,” said Suzanne Seggerman, co-founder and president of Games for Change. “The movement toward educating and engaging youth through digital games for
      change not only raises awareness of the importance of social issues, but gives youth an opportunity to make a difference. As this movement continues to build momentum, we believe that partnerships and grant support from leading technology companies like AMD will be critical to its success.”
   
   

Through AMD Changing the Game, AMD Foundation grants will go to nonprofit organizations that inspire young people learn while creating games with social content. Employees will also support the initiative through volunteer opportunities. In its pilot year, the following organizations will be funded:
   

• Girlstart, is 
  an Austin, TX-based nonprofit organization created to empower middle
          and high school girls to excel in math, science, and technology. In
          the summer of 2008, the AMD Foundation’s
  grant will enable 60 Girlstart participants to attend a program
          focused on games with social content. As a capstone project, girls
          will be creating a social awareness event in Teen Second Life, a
          virtual gathering place for teens 13-17 all over the world to make friends, play, learn and create. The Girlstart team will identify a
          social issue of importance to them and create an event in Teen Second
          Life that will help raise awareness and inspire action around the
          issue.
        
• Global Kids, is a Brooklyn, NY-based nonprofit organization that seeks to transform
          urban youth into successful students and global and community leaders.
          Through its grant to Global Kids’ Playing for Keeps program, AMD has joined The Microsoft Corporation in
          enabling 20 young people from underserved communities to work with
          game developers to develop, create and distribute a game about the
          heroic role of residents following Hurricane Katrina. Last year, young
          people worked with developers in the Playing for Keeps program
          to create the game Ayiti: The Cost of Life which allows players
          to assume the role of impoverished people living in rural Haiti with
          the goal of meeting some key health, education and quality of life
          challenges.
        
• Institute for Urban Game Design, is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit organization teaching science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills through the hands-on
          creation of digital games. Beginning in the summer of 2008, the AMD
          Foundation’s grant will enable IUGD
          participants to apply their learning in 3-D modeling, animation and
          computer programming to the development of a game focused on the issue
          of energy usage. Students will learn about and explore the social
          issues associated with different types of energy.
        
• Science Buddies is a national, non-profit organization based in California’s Silicon
          Valley offering a variety of web-based tools that help K-12 students
          explore science through research-based projects often done at Science
          Fairs and other school and community events. AMD Foundation’s
          grant will enable Science Buddies to launch a Video and Computer Games
          Interest Area on its site aimed at helping students understand and
          practice what is required to design digital games. AMD volunteers will work with Science Buddies staff scientists to develop project ideas to
          spark student interest in exploring topics such as human behavior in
          games, ergonomics, game design and programming and the incorporation
          of social or educational content in games.
        

As part of launching the Games for Change Festival, the AMD Foundation, in partnership with the John G. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, is sponsoring “Let the Games Begin,” a day-long workshop for nonprofit organizations focusing on how to create social issue games. The workshop will feature interactive
      lectures by some of the nation’s leading
      authorities on social issue game development and cover fundamentals such
as game design, fundraising, evaluation, youth participation,
      distribution and press strategies.
   
   

Following the Festival, the AMD Foundation and Games for Change plan to co-produce a how-to digital toolkit for nonprofits that includes examples of games with social content, interviews with key experts and additional guidance for nonprofits creating social issue games for the first time.
   

AMD is also working with PETLab, a joint project of Games for Change and
      Parsons The News School, to create a social issue game development curriculum for youth. The curriculum is expected to be piloted in the fall of 2008.
   
   

For more information about AMD Changing the Game, including a video and
      other materials, visit www.amd.com/changingthegame.
      Also visit AMD
      Unprocessed on Facebook for additional information and regular updates.
   

About AMD
   

Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is a leading global provider of
      innovative processing solutions in the computing, graphics and consumer
      electronics markets. AMD is dedicated to driving open innovation, choice
      and industry growth by delivering superior customer-centric solutions
      that empower consumers and businesses worldwide.
   

About the AMD Foundation
   

The AMD Foundation connects and empowers individuals with knowledge,
      thereby opening doors to opportunity.
   
   

Foundation assets are specifically invested in: Initiatives that inspire
      and facilitate science, technology, engineering and math learning for
      current and future generations (STEM skills); Support of employees’
      community interests by matching their personal donations of time and
      money to local organizations and schools (AMD Employee Giving Program);
      Contributions of aid when disaster strikes the communities where we
      operate (Disaster Relief).
   

About Games for Change
   

Games for Change (G4C) provides support, visibility and shared resources to individuals and organizations using digital games for social change, giving special assistance to non-profits and foundations entering the field. G4C was formed in 2004 as a sub-group of the Serious Games Initiative. Today, G4C acts as a national hub to help organizations network and develop videogame projects beyond their traditional
      expertise. Its members represent hundreds of organizations and include
      partners in the games industry, academia, nonprofits, local and state
      governments, foundations, the UN and artists.
   
   

©2008, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced
      Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and
      may be trademarks of their respective owners. Links to third party sites
      are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not
      responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is
      implied.
   

¹ See VG Chartz

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