iCarly’s Noah Munck and Actor Zachary Levi Join the National STEM Video Game Challenge As Judges
New York, NY, March 28, 2012 – The National STEM Video Game Challenge, a competition to motivate student interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through playing and creating video games, announced today that actors Noah Munck and Zachary Levi will serve as judges for the competition.
Munck, best known for his role as Gibby Gibson on Nickelodeon’s hit series iCarly, and Levi, most recently seen in NBC’s Chuck, will participate in the youth portion of the competition which invited entries from students in grades 5-12.
“Playing is the fun and easy part, but to create a game takes skill and creativity,” said Munck. “I am excited to see what types of games students have come up with and how maybe some of today’s popular games have influenced their creations.”
Levi, who is also the founder of the website The Nerd Machine, said, “Games are so much more than just recreation. They challenge us on so many different levels. Competitions like the STEM Video Game Challenge are great ways to inspire and encourage students and educators alike, to take advantage of a great way to learn that just happens to be through gaming, and that just happens to be awesome.”
Other judges of the STEM Challenge include Warren Buckleitner, Editor of Children’s Technology Review; Michelle Byrd, Co-President, Games for Change; Milton Chen, Senior Fellow at The George Lucas Education Foundation; Allison Druin, Associate Dean for Research at the University of Maryland’s iSchool; Nick Fortugno, Founder, CEO, Playmatics; and Bing Gordon, Investment Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
The winners of the STEM Challenge will be announced at a games and learning summit on May 22, 2012 in Washington, DC. The summit is being sponsored by AMD Foundation and The Entertainment Software Association and hosted by The Atlantic.
The National STEM Video Game Challenge is organized by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and E-Line Media in partnership with sponsors The Entertainment Software Association, AMD Foundation, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting/ PBS KIDS Ready To Learn Initiative.
The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop is an independent, nonprofit research center that is fostering innovation in children’s learning through digital media. The Cooney Center conducts and supports research, creates educational models and interactive media properties and builds cross-sector partnerships. The Cooney Center is named for Sesame Workshop’s founder, who revolutionized television with the creation of Sesame Street. Core funding is provided by the generous support of Peter G. Peterson, Genius Products, Mattel, Inc. and Sesame Workshop.
E-Line Media is a publisher of game-based learning products and services that engage educate and empower, helping to prepare youth for lives and careers in the 21st century. E-Line works with leading foundations, academics, non-profits and government agencies to harness the power of games for learning, health, and social impact. Find out more at www.elinemedia.com.
Contacts:
Jodi Lefkowitz
Sesame Workshop
212-875-6497
jodi.lefkowitz@sesame.org
Brian Alspach
E-Line Media
732-490-6194
press@elinemedia.com
