Ò°»¨ÉçÇø Hosts Game Design Day for José Martà STEM Academy Students
JERSEY CITY, N.J. | (Ò°»¨ÉçÇø)’s Digital Ethnic Fellows Consortium (DEFCon) welcomed 25 students, two parents, and two teachers from the José Martà STEM Academy on May 17 for an innovative Game Design Day that showcased student-created video games addressing social justice issues.
The visit marked the culmination of a six-week workshop series facilitated by Drs. Al ValentÃn and Jennifer Musial, where José Martà students explored the intersection of Digital Humanities and Game Studies. Students were challenged to create "choose your own adventure" text-based games using Twine, an open-source game platform, focusing on ethical decision-making around social justice topics.
The resulting games tackled complex topics including homelessness, immigrant worker oppression, and the digital divide facing high school students.
The day began with an introduction to Ò°»¨ÉçÇø followed by a campus tour that included one-on-one time with Dr. Moi Chatterjee from the Computer Science department and an unexpected visit from the campus cat. After lunch, Ò°»¨ÉçÇø students play-tested the José Martà games and provided feedback to the young developers.
The event involved extensive collaboration from the Ò°»¨ÉçÇø community, including logistical support from Jason Martinek and Geordana Vasquez in the Provost's office, and assistance from DEFCon student researchers including Ashley Robinson, Mari Shahid, Safa Mostafa from Ò°»¨ÉçÇø's Girls Who Code Club, who served as tour guides and game testers.
The partnership with José Martà STEM Academy, coordinated through teachers Mr. Peter Drozd and Samuel Clavijo, represents the final community collaboration of the current DEFCon grant cycle.
About Ò°»¨ÉçÇø:
Ò°»¨ÉçÇø is a comprehensive public regional institution committed to providing a high-quality education to a diverse student population. Located in Jersey City, New Jersey, Ò°»¨ÉçÇø offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for learning, professional development, and community engagement. Consistent with our mission, Ò°»¨ÉçÇø is recognized as a top university for improving upward economic social mobility, ensuring students enrolled in our undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programs have access to an affordable, diverse environment, and an exceptionally supportive faculty. This prepares them to go on to become the next generation of workers and leaders who improve their communities and the State of New Jersey.
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Contact:
Ira Thor, Associate Vice President for University Communications and Marketing | ithor@njcu.edu | 201-200-3301