I’m heading to the United Nations for a convening on games and the Sustainable Development Goals with Games for Change. My brief talk tomorrow will advocate for “Low-Tech Beyond Our Walls.” My pitch is that all cities and towns should be able to make their own games for engagement in public space. The vision is […]
Author: bstokes
Video and learning guide for public libraries with WebJunction
We are proud to release the video recording of our lecture for librarians on “Engaging Beyond Our Walls: Libraries connecting communities through outdoor games and stories.” More than 900 librarians signed up for the original event on Sept. 26 hosted by WebJunction, and thousands more are expected to watch as part of professional development. We […]
Webinar with WebJunction/OCLC on “Engaging Beyond Our Walls”
Register to join us on September 26th, 2024, at 3pm ET for a webinar with WebJunction — one of the largest hubs for library practitioners. This is a new effort to share our findings from the EBOW Project: Engaging Beyond Our Walls. Tens of thousands of libraries rely on WebJunction for resources and professional development […]
Peabody Awards: Broadening Recognition
Last week included a historic night on the stage at the Peabody Awards — and for the field of interactive! In brief, I flew out to LA on June 9 to attend the red carpet award show. I was there as a member of the jury, and specifically the Interactive Board. Here we are pictured: […]
MET Fest and Youth Gamers: Creating Wider Trajectories at the Local Level
On June 1st of 2024, I was proud to join with thousands of youth gamers at the Mystics home stadium in Washington, DC. It was the launch of MET Fest, a new event backed by the city. High school fans and families turned out for open game play, Esports tournaments, industry, college programs with scholarships […]
Coverage from PLA: Outreach and building community
This nice write-up of our PLA session last month by Jason Wieder was published in Public Libraries Online: A Publication of the Public Library Association: “The 2024 Public Library Conference was the experience of a lifetime. Along with the opportunity to network with peers, I met my library hero, Mychal Threets. I also attended several […]
Museum presentation at AAM with Smithsonian and DC Public Library
We presented in Baltimore on May 17, 2024, at the American Alliance of Museums (AAM)’s annual meeting. AAM’s Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo brings together museums of all types and sizes—from art and history museums to zoos and botanic gardens—to share ideas and make connections that are transformative. Our talk was on “Remembering in a Gentrifying […]
Speaker: Ben Caldwell (book talk)
We are pleased to host pioneering artist Ben Caldwell. Join us on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at 5:30pm. The event will be hosted in the AU Game Center, DMTI room 113. More on Caldwell: Caldwell will also be talking about his sustained art and innovation practice in Leimert Park. He is a collaborator with the […]
Presenting at PLA in Columbus
Join us in Columbus, OH, on April 5, 2024, at the annual Public Library Association. Our topic: “Engaging Beyond Our Walls: Making Neighborhood Games and Outdoor Storytelling,” led by David Quick of DC Public Library and Benjamin Stokes of American University. DESCRIPTION: “Can your library empower residents to design their own outdoor games and bring […]
Presenting at the EdGames Expo (federal games showcase)
Earlier this week (Sept. 20, 2023) we were proud to present our Hive Mechanic system at the annual EdGames Expo. This public event is the primary federal showcase of “game-changing innovations” across 50 federal government programs, and is organized primarily by the US Department of Education. It was a thrill to showcase our work alongside […]