President Obama Announces National STEM Video Game Challenge

President Obama announced today the launch of the National STEM Video Game Challenge as part of his “Educate to Innovate” campaign to help American students compete with the rest of the world in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The first annual competition is being held by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center and E-Line Media in partnership with AMD Foundation, the Entertainment Software Association and Microsoft.

"Our success as a nation depends on strengthening America’s role as the world’s engine of discovery and innovation," said President Obama. "I applaud partners in the National STEM Video Game Challenge for lending their resources, expertise, and their enthusiasm to the task of strengthening America’s leadership in the 21st century by improving education in science, technology, engineering and math."

The challenge features two competitions: the Developer Prize challenges established and emerging game developers to design mobile games that teach young children (grades 4 and under) key STEM concepts and the Youth Prize challenges middle school students (grades 5 through 8) to incorporate STEM concepts in an original game design.

But why use video games as a way to encourage student interest in STEM learning? Executive director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, Michael Levine explains:

“Children of all ages are immersed in technology—today’s kids spend as much time with digital media as they do in school. With the need to make learning both more engaging and productive we need some real game changers. The National STEM Video Game Challenge will encourage entrepreneurs and students to develop bold designs to promote academic excellence.”

Entries for the challenge will be accepted from October 12, 2010 through January 5, 2011. More details can be found here.

Via: IGN

-Reporting from San Diego, GamePolitics Special Correspondent Andrew Eisen.