Contest winner Geoffrey Wang and his cousins, who tested his video game.

Level: Grades 5-8

Twelve students have won the National STEM Video Game Challenge, according to Education Week. They include a team of students who developed a game called, “You Make Me Sick!” to teach about bacteria and viruses. Inspired by the Educate to Innovate Campaign, President Obama’s initiative to promote a renewed focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education, the contest aims to motivate interest in STEM learning among America’s youth by tapping into students’ natural passions for playing and making video games.

The first year of the National STEM Video Game Challenge features two complementary competitions, a Youth Prize and a Developer Prize:

• The Youth Prize engages middle school students grades 5-8 in STEM learning by challenging them to design original video games. The Youth Prize design challenge will be open to middle school students from any U.S. school with a special emphasis on reaching students in underserved communities.
• The Developer Prize challenges emerging and experienced game developers to design mobile games, including games for the mobile Web, for young children (grades pre-K through 4) that teach key STEM concepts and foster an interest in STEM subject areas.

Meet the 2010 Youth Prize winners here, or watch the video below:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA3EPf9tsI8[/youtube]

Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, K-12 Outreach Programs

Tags: Competition, Competitions for Students, Computer Engineering, Computer Programming, Computer Science, Contest, Contests, Science Contest, Software, Videos