The State Department has announced it's newest attempt to reach the young leaders of tomorrow -- video game diplomacy training. This project was created in partnership with Games for Change, a nonprofit focused on supporting the creation of video games with a social message. This project is made possible through funding from Stevens Initiative grants.
Susanna Pollack, the president of Games for Change, told The Washington Post; “Games have a power beyond entertainment, they can be significant drivers of social impact. It's a medium that's universal … Like other forms of media, games can address important social topics and meet people where they are.”
The goal for this video game diplomacy training project is for youth in the U.S., Middle East, and North Africa to form personal connections as they create social impact games together. Entitled Game Exchange, this virtual exchange program is meant to help students develop diplomacy, teaching, STEM, and leadership skills.
"We want to go where young people are, more and more young people are online," said Tara Sonenshine, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy at the State Department.
Geared towards children and young teens, the initial U.S. launch of this game will focus on “underrepresented or underserved students'' from schools in New York City, Atlanta, and Detroit. Moderated by a teacher and separated into teams, U.S. student teams will then be paired with international students to participate in gameplay. According to The Washington Post, this first launch will only include students from the U.S. and Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain; although the intention is to eventually reach a wider international audience.
In the first round of gameplay, 2,700 students from the U.S., Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain will be given the challenge to create a game based on a social issue of their choosing within 10 weeks. A key focus of this initial launch will be the development of skills, such as coding or the usage of engines like Unity.
As societies evolve and change over time, it is refreshing to see attempts to meet younger generations where they are, while also encouraging and preparing them for the future ahead. Though the initial launch of this project will take place in schools in New York City, Atlanta, and Detroit, if successful, perhaps we will soon see the Game Exchange program in DMV schools. It makes sense that this may catch on, as many expect that society will continue to develop a more technologically-integrated culture. If so, then this may be a positive way for the U.S. government to stay abreast of change, and perhaps our future leaders may become more cooperative than ever before.