Hard Rock with EduNetwork Partners develop education program and contest to teach teens positive video gaming habits
HOLLYWOOD, Fla., Nov. 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Hard Rock International, in partnership with education experts EduNetwork Partners, announces The Game Plan Challenge to educate teens on healthy video gaming habits, and to CHALLENGE them to create a fun campaign that inspires their friends.
Today’s kids are digital natives. They have only known a world connected by cell phones, computers, game consoles and tablets. Over 90% of kids in the U.S. today play some kind of video game and many participate on a regular basis.
This kind of social gaming can be a healthy part of teenage life – helping kids feel connected to friends, providing a sense of achievement, stimulating strategic thinking and relieving stress and anxiety. Parents and teachers sometimes overlook these benefits, focusing on very real concerns, like the time and mental energy kids spend immersed in digital play.
Working with EduNetwork Partners and the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, Hard Rock International created The Game Plan Challenge to help teens, parents and educators navigate digital, social gaming. Fun activities and expert-informed content available at GamePlanChallenge.com lead users to explore the positive aspects of gaming, to cultivate safe habits, while also learning about potential risks.
Teens are challenged to apply what they learn by developing a creative campaign to motivate other teens to set a Game Plan that balances gaming with school, activities, and home life. The creative submissions for the Game Plan Challenge can include a video, social media or print campaign.
“By helping high school-aged students understand all aspects of social gaming – the good parts and the risks – we want to teach the importance of planning and managing play,” said Dr. Jeffery Derevensky, Director of McGill University’s International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-risk Behaviours.
The program also addresses behavioral risks common to both social gaming and gambling. The video games that kids play differ from legal forms of gambling, which are restricted to adults, so the Game Plan Challenge teaches other safeguards, helping teens understand the similarities and differences between their games and gambling.
“We want students to have fun with the Game Plan Challenge,” said Paul Pellizzari, Vice President of Global Social Responsibility for Hard Rock International. “And, we want them to speak to and inspire each other about the games they play and love, while understanding what happens when problems develop, and what to do about it.”
The Game Plan Challenge launched at noon EDT on October 29, 2019 and is open to students 13-18 years of age who reside in U.S. states and D.C. Students will be judged on: message conveyed, originality and creativity. All entries need to be submitted online at GamePlanChallenge.com. Teens can enter individually or in teams of two to four. The competition ends on January 3, 2020at 11:59 pm EST. Winners will be announced in March. Prizing includes: 5 Grand prize Guitar Packages with over $2,000 in Merchandise and Up to 15 Runner-Up $250 packages.
For more information and the official rules for the contest visit GamePlanChallenge.com