The Stanford University Office of Science Outreach, in partnership with the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, Learning Games Network, and FableVision, brought together a select group of students for a Game Jam on the Stanford University campus earlier this year. Eight high schoolers worked to create interactive experiences that promote peace and global sustainability for the iPad. This marked the second jam co-organized with the Lennon Bus, now also our partners for the inaugural Create UNAOC Challenge.
With the help of Learning Games Network instructors, Stanford graduate students and John Lennon Bus engineers, these young high school designers were able to debut a working prototype of their iPad game, titled Harvest Hope, that sought to raise awareness of the experience of being a rural farmer in a developing nation.
The Bus travels from coast to coast, making stops at K-12 schools, universities, concerts, trade shows, music festivals and more. The staff conducts free tours and allows a group of youths to record an original song and video. Why shouldn’t the next step in youth media literacy be games?
The Lennon Bus has recently released a video, showcasing the game design process these students undertook to conceive, design and build a game in just under 48 hours. Check it out for a snapshot of how one of our partners is working to encourage new kinds of conversations through digital media.
For more information, visit The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus.