National STEM Video Game Challenge Developer Prize: Rules, Prizes
The National STEM Video Game Challenge launched in October 2010 with a Developer Prize for mobile games that teach STEM concepts to children in grades pre-K through 4. The grand prize was $50,000.
Updated
What the Developer Prize asked for
The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, in partnership with E-Line Media, opened applications for the National STEM Video Game Challenge in October 2010. The contest was inspired by President Obama's Educate to Innovate campaign. Its aim was to motivate interest in science, technology, engineering and math by tapping students' natural passion for playing and making video games. Sponsors were the AMD Foundation, the Entertainment Software Association and Microsoft, and the founding outreach partners included the American Association of School Librarians, the American Library Association, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, BrainPOP and the International Game Developers Association. The organizers asked the developer community to apply and to spread the word through its own networks.
The Developer Prize was the stream for adults. It challenged emerging and experienced developers to design mobile games, including games for the mobile web, for young children in grades pre-K through 4. The games had to teach key STEM concepts and foster interest in STEM subject areas. Entrants could be undergraduate and graduate students, early-career professionals or seasoned professionals.
A special prize stream covered developers enrolled in a US undergraduate or graduate program. Particular emphasis went to technologies with high potential to reach underserved communities, such as engaging games built for basic mobile phones that address urgent educational needs among at-risk youth.
Prizes and backers
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Grand prize | $50,000 |
| Collegiate prize | $25,000 for the top collegiate entry |
| Underserved communities prize | $25,000 for the top entry reaching underserved communities |
| Sponsors | AMD Foundation, Entertainment Software Association, Microsoft |
| Founding outreach partners | American Association of School Librarians, American Library Association, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, BrainPOP, International Game Developers Association |
What is true today
The Joan Ganz Cooney Center still describes the challenge on its initiative page, in the past tense. The page says the challenge was launched in 2010 as part of the White House's Educate to Innovate Campaign, with the Entertainment Software Association as founding sponsor, and that over six competition cycles students designed and submitted nearly 20,000 original games and game design documents.
The challenge's own website, stemchallenge.org, now shows only an error page and no longer presents the contest. A running call for entries is not confirmed on any official page, so this article describes the 2010 Developer Prize as it was announced.
Today's public funding for game projects is summarized on the funding page, and prizes that recognize finished games are on the awards page.
Questions about the challenge
How much was the Developer Prize worth?
The grand prize was $50,000, with two smaller prizes of $25,000 each for the top collegiate entry and the top entry reaching underserved communities. The first rewarded work by students in a degree program, and the second rewarded the entry with the most promise for reaching underserved communities.
Who could enter the Developer Prize?
Game developers could enter, from undergraduate and graduate students to early-career and seasoned professionals. Students enrolled in a US program had a special prize stream.
Is the National STEM Video Game Challenge still running?
The Joan Ganz Cooney Center describes it as a completed effort of six competition cycles, and the challenge's own website no longer presents the contest.