Last week I had an inspiring meeting with Pam Minett and Adele Barlow, founders of Ymedia Group. They had been brainstorming ideas around how they could support the Seuang River Communities and proposed helping to organise a three day games development challenge linking industry professionals with young developers. Teams develop games based around the economy, society and environment of the Seuang River . The winning team gets a sponsored trip to the Mekong. Fantastic!
Below is a screenshot of the original brain storm prior to meeting. The ideas are now being developed in consultation with others. All feedback welcome!
MESSAGE FROM PAM
I hope you are all well – I know this is an Uber busy time RIGHT before Christmas, but I’d like to share an exciting new project that yMedia are involved with for 2009 and get your feedback/ideas/support.
The attached below sheet has the project in a bit more detail… In a nutshell, we are facilitating a 3 day competition (think full-code-press styles or social innovation camp styles), to bring together gaming and developer professionals with students and young people (who are studying in this area) to develop online games or new/interactive media.
Why?
Our friends at the EON Foundation are supporting/partnering on an initiative with North by North East Travel Services to raise 20k to build an education centre in the Seuang River Communities along the Mekong River in Laos.
The idea of the games/online new media is to support this education centre by creating awareness and providing education for secondary school students in developed nations and to drive traffic to relevant sites where people can volunteer, donate and contribute to different initiatives.
Grand prize idea? Funded flights to the Seuang River village (education centre) for the winning team, as well as some sponsored products, their games in schools, exposure, experience for the students, insight to top talent for the gaming companies etc.
How you can help now -
Ideas and feedback – How can we make this better? What do you like about it? What would you need to see in order for you to get involved?
Support – Endorse it, share it, blog about it, talk about it
Contacts – pass on the details of anyone who you may think could help us out/get involved. People we want to talk to include people at:
Air NZ, House of Travel, STA Travel
Canon, Sony
Nokia
Tertiary Institutes, HODs in gaming/computer science
We would like to sponsor you by providing you with some technology which generates video based learning resources…..in return for our logo and link back to our web presence.
Please join the conversation at http://groups.google.com.au/group/edupov
It’s in it’s infancy as a COP but is sure to grow
Looking forward to your conversation…..
Hi Alex,
That is great. Thank you for the offer. Looking forward to working together and learning how to do the video based learning resources and their application in the Seuang River context
Things have gathered speed and we’d like to get this kit to you soon .
Read this – http://www.edupov.com/2009/02/seaung-sustainable-abundance/
I just need an official postage point for you John to send the kit to. Please send me an email with those details contained.
Looking forward to your reply.