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Exploring Collaborations: Successful Strategies for Increasing Equity and Access to STEM

Strategy Session 1:Overview and Game Plan

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Mission Partners

#GAMES4STEM

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GAMES Mission

• Develop one or more really fun and engrossing games that will, along with other STEM strategies, make a real impact in helping influence more girls to pursue STEM careers.

#GAMES4STEM

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Problem Statement• STEM graduate shortage in region + nation• Research demonstrates that by grade 9, over 80%

of girls have turned away from an interest in STEM careers

• While there are many great efforts to increase the number of girl pursuing STEM careers, the medium of gaming is not yet a powerful tool in the STEM effort

• Research demonstrates that games can change how players view themselves and their future potential

#GAMES4STEM

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Key Steps + Timetable to GAMES Initiative

1. Launch – June 20132. Organize 5 working groups, leadership structure, NGCP role, and GAMES

Logic Model Planning Tool3. Develop fund-raising strategy for 2014-16 campaign4. Conduct initial research/review as well as NSF grant proposal on GAMES

STEM Community5. Carry out national Game Jam process to NGCP girl members + others to

develop great game concepts and plots – Spring-Fall 20146. GAMES Judge: Select proposals for 20 game prototypes; develop and field

test prototype games with NGCP girls – Jan-December 20157. Evaluate results of field tests; GAMES judges select 2-3 games for full

production and FREE distribution8. GAMES girl players move into GAMES community; long-term monitoring

begins

#GAMES4STEM

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How GAMES Will Accomplish Its Ambitious Goal – Working Groups

1. People – build a regional + national network of skilled people committed to GAMES – our Networking Group

2. Research + Assessment – understand the challenge, analyze the relevant data, and craft data-driven approach to the design + implementation of GAMES

3. Gaming Expertise – involve gaming leaders in decisions of strategy and the Game Jam, vetting, and production and distribution of GAMES

4. Resources – develop the funding base needed to carry out research, production, and distribution of GAMES projects

#GAMES4STEM

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Logic Model• Purpose + scope • How we use it

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Research Working Group

• Formative research + literature review (conducted by NEU computer science researchers): Links gaming to STEM career pathways and defines parameters for games

• Ongoing external evaluation: develops assessment tool, creates a long term GAMES Community and leads to a longitudinal study of girls + STEM careers

• Questions for today:1. What can we learn from past efforts to develop games to promote

girls interest in STEM?2. What 4-5 protocols or guidance should we incorporate in any plot or

game proposal?3. How do we most effectively approach gaming companies to look at

the their research data on girls + gaming?

#GAMES4STEM

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Fundraising & In-Kind Support Working Group

• Develop in early 2014 and implement a campaign plan for fundraising and supporting: Research and evaluation, game development, marketing and dissemination.

• We estimate a need for total of $5,000,000 over the next 3-4 years to implement GAMES

• Questions for today:1. What group/foundations do you suggest we consider

approaching for GAMES?2. Do you think major companies in our region would be

interested in being founding sponsors?3. Do you think gaming companies in our region will be open to

helping fund GAMES? #GAMES4STEM

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Networking Working Group• Builds the supply of committed volunteers to advise on

+ support all stages of GAMES• Works closely with the NGCP to build a national

network of girls engaged in GAMES process, leading to a GAMES community

• Questions for today:1. What other skilled professionals/groups in gaming, STEM,

girls advocacy, and others should we be reaching out to?2. How can we tie the GAMES initiative to other great STEM

work underway in our region, both in gaming sector and in STEM fields?

#GAMES4STEM

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Girls Expertise and Advocacy Working Group

• Monitors and assures authenticity of girls' engagement throughout the GAMES Initiative: integration and application of knowledge about girls, STEM, and gender.

• Includes girls from diverse backgrounds, locations include; advocates and educators working with girls in multiple environments.

• Questions for today:1. How do we best ensure that our GAMES Initiative keeps a laser

like focus on girls and STEM careers?2. How do we most effectively engage girls from diverse

backgrounds? 3. How to get girls maximum participation along the way, and

solicit ideas from the group – without getting too distracted from critical path progress

#GAMES4STEM

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Game Development Working Group

• Develop and implement Game Jam to select 20 prototypes for further development and testing (using NGCP programs).

• Two polished games produced and accessible at no cost on multiple platforms.

• Questions for today:• We will discuss options in our next session

strategy group at 2:15 PM

#GAMES4STEM

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Next Steps

• Your input will help us move working groups and games formed in 2014

• Our website, northeastern.edu/gamesinitiative, is now online - use it to sign up to help

• Come to our strategy session at 2:15 PM today to brainstorm how we structure our Game Jam, game design, and production process, and discuss platform + distribution issues

#GAMES4STEM