From the Digital Media & Learning Competition website:
The Digital Media and Learning Competition, created in 2007, was designed to find “and to inspire” the most novel uses of new media in support of learning. Projects explore how digital technologies are changing the way people learn and participate in daily life. Awards have recognized individuals, for-profit companies, universities, and community organizations using new media to transform learning.
The 2010 Competition, launched in partnership with National Lab Day, challenges designers, inventors, entrepreneurs, practitioners and researchers to build learning labs and/or learning experiences for the 21st Century, environments that will help young people interact, share, build, tinker, and explore in new and innovative ways.
The MacArthur Foundation
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation launched its five-year, $50 million Digital Media and Learning initiative in 2006 to help determine how digital technologies are changing the way people, especially young people, learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life. Answers are critical to developing educational and other social institutions that can meet the needs of this and future generations.
The Digital Media and Learning initiative is marshaling what is already known about the field and seeding innovation for continued growth. Initial grants have supported research projects, design studies, pilot programs, and responses to policy implications.
The MacArthur Foundation is supporting the Digital Media and Learning Competition as part of its Digital Media and Learning initiative.
HASTAC
HASTAC (pronounced “haystack”; the Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Advanced Collaboratory) is an international network of educators and digital visionaries committed to the creative development and critical understanding of new technologies in life, learning, and society. HASTAC is committed to innovative design, participatory learning, and critical thinking.
The infrastructure for HASTAC is provided by Duke University and the University of California Humanities Research Institute (UCHRI), under the founding leadership of Cathy N. Davidson (Duke University) and David Theo Goldberg (Director, UCHRI). Established in 2002, HASTAC has taken a leading role in next-generation net sciences: the computational, social, and humanistic understanding of the role of distributed, digitally-supported relationships that extend throughout education, community-based learning organizations, the economy, and global partnerships. For further information, please visit www.hastac.org.
21st Century Learning Lab Designers
National Lab Day
National Lab Day is an organization dedicated to transforming science and math learning across the country. Over 200 organizations representing 6.5 million professionals and educators have already pledged support for National Lab Day. These organizations have sent a letter to the President detailing their commitment to bring hands-on, problem-based learning to millions of students through National Lab Day’s year round programs.
Game Changers
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA)
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA™, EA SPORTS™, EA Mobile™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at info.ea.com.
EA™, EA SPORTS™, EA Mobile™ and POGO™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.
Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA)
Founded in 1994, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Its PlayStation brand continues to redefine interactive consumer entertainment with ground-breaking technology and products that include the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system, the PlayStation® 2 (PS2™), PlayStation®Portable (PSP®) and PSP® go handheld entertainment systems and its online and network services, the PlayStation®Network and PlayStation®Store. Based in Foster City, California, SCEA serves as headquarters for all North American operations and employs over 1,800 people in offices located in Foster City, CA, San Diego, CA, Santa Monica, CA and Bend, OR.
Entertainment Software Association (ESA)
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of companies publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet. The ESA offers services to interactive entertainment software publishers including a global anti-piracy program, owning the E3 Expo, business and consumer research, federal and state government relations, First Amendment and intellectual property protection efforts. For more information, please visit www.theESA.com.
Information Technology Industry Council (ITI)
Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) is the premiere voice, advocate, and thought leader for the information and communications technology (ICT) industry. ITI is widely recognized as the tech industry’s most effective advocacy organization in Washington DC, and in various foreign capitals around the world. For more information about ICT companies leading the charge on America’s innovation economy visit www.itic.org/governmentrelations/stem-education/.