AMD and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) announced that the AMD Foundation has awarded a $115,000 grant to BGCA to implement Club Tech: Game Tech, a digital game development program, in four new Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. AMD also will provide $60,000 to install four technology centers in these same Clubs in Washington, D.C.; Orlando, Fla.; Bellevue, Wash.; and Sunnyvale, Calif.
The grant supports AMD’s signature education initiative, AMD Changing the Game, a program that encourages teens to learn critical STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills and become more globally conscious citizens by developing digital games with social content. By the end of 2012, AMD and the BGCA plan to implement the Club Tech: Game Tech program at 14 Clubs, located primarily in AMD site communities in the United States.
BGCA enables young people, especially those who need Clubs most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, some 4,000 Boys & Girls Clubs serve more than 4.2 million children and teens through Club membership and community outreach. Through BGCA’s Club Tech initiative, and the Game Tech program in particular, the organization provides Club members the opportunity to experience the digital arts and enhance their technology skills in order to develop creative and marketable workforce skills. Hundreds of Club members are expected to participate in the Game Tech program, and thousands of Club members will benefit from the technology center installations.
Game Tech is a multi-unit program that guides Club members through the design process of creating computer games, and is led by local Boys & Girls Club professionals using a platform called Scratch. Club members gain valuable STEM skills in the process. In addition to the Game Tech program implementation, the grant provides ongoing site support for Boys & Girls Clubs that previously piloted the Game Tech program in Boxborough, Mass ., and Ft. Collins, Colo. AMD’s grant also funds targeted training and technical assistance for Club professionals.
AMD Changing the Game
AMD Changing the Game is designed to take gaming beyond entertainment by inspiring teens to create digital games on important social issues, such as energy or the environment. As a result, they enrich their educational experience by learning critical science, technology, education and math (STEM) and life skills. The initiative is rooted in AMD’s commitment to and experience in supporting education, and the company’s passion and expertise in the graphics processor and gaming industries.