Working together with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and Leaders on the Fast Track, the Entertainment Software Association has announced that the second ESA LOFT Video Game Innovation Fellowship will continue to encourage social change through video games.
Specifically, the program aims to give minority youths an opportunity to promote social change through gaming with an award for 20 participants granted for video game or mobile applications that seek solutions to problems within the individual's community.
Jose, Antonion Tijerino, President and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation wants these games to make a social impact:
Through this creative partnership with the ESA, we are engaging youth on their terms…. We believe there is a link between playing a video game and developing a game to teach computer coding, cybersecurity, and other workforce skills gap areas America is trying to fill. It is critical that minority youths are encourage to create, not just consume.
Past entries in the Video Game Innovation Fellowship tackled things like Cerebral Palsy, healthy lifestyles, college planning, and literacy through lyrics.
Rich Taylor acts as the Senior Vice President of Communications and Industry Affairs at the ESA. "We are produ to offer this opportunity again and look forward to seeing how the 2014 Fellows will help create real change in their communities through the unique platform video games can provide," Taylor said. "Last year the… Fellowship showed how games are more than a means of entertainment, but also a valuable tool for change in our society."
For more information and to apply, visit http://www.LOFTinnovation.org before August 15th.
