Charity Jennifer Ann’s Group announces the “12th Annual Life.Love. Game Design Challenge” with a 1st place prize of $10,000 for a video game about gaslighting.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S., March 19, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Jennifer Ann’s Group announces the “12th Annual Life.Love. Game Design Challenge” with a first place prize of $10,000.

Can you create a video game about gaslighting . . . without using violence in the game itself?

Since 2008, Jennifer Ann’s Group (JenniferAnn.org), an Atlanta based nonprofit charity, has run a game design challenge to produce and publish serious video games through its “Gaming Against Violence" program. The topics for this annual competition have included bystander awareness, consent, healthy relationships, and teen dating violence. The contest is open to all over the age of 13 and receives entries from both the domestic and international video game community.

The goal of the Life.Love. Game Design Challenge is to publish serious video games that engage, educate, and empower teens about healthy relationships. The contest is the longest-running of its kind and has been recognized as a Top 10 Trailblazer program by the National Youth Advisory Board for its focus on prevention of teen dating violence. Video games that have been published through the Gaming Against Violence program have led to two published studies validating their effectiveness at changing unhealthy beliefs and attitudes.

Drew Crecente, Executive Director of Jennifer Ann’s Group, has this to say:

“Video games are often unfairly blamed for violence in our society. Using them as a tool for social change to prevent violence is fitting and also very effective. Adolescents prefer to explore a sensitive issue like dating abuse through self-paced exploration and these free video games are an ideal way for them to learn this critical information. Educators also appreciate the fact that these games, although free, are evidence-based and expert informed. Parents also like that these games are an easy and judgment-free approach to engaging their teenagers about healthy dating relationships.”

Registration for the contest is open now. The contest will run in two rounds with the first round consisting of submitting a narrative about their game idea. Finalists will be selected from this first round and they will be given the opportunity to develop a game based on their game pitch.

The first round game pitches are due by March 31, 2019.

Rules, sign-up information, FAQs, and information about gaslighting are available through the gaslight game contest site at: https://gaslight.games/contest

Several of the previous winning games are available via Jennifer Ann’s Group’s serious game portal at: https://JAGga.me All games are free and can be played in a web browser or downloaded through the app stores.

ABOUT Jennifer Ann’s Group - Jennifer Ann’s Group is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization preventing teen dating violence through awareness, education, and advocacy. The organization has been instrumental in the passing of legislation mandating teen dating violence awareness in schools and has distributed over 1 million free educational materials to schools, churches, and other organizations throughout the U.S. and U.K. at no cost to the recipients.

On February 15 2006, Jennifer Ann Crecente - a high school senior - was murdered by her ex-boyfriend. Jennifer was an honor roll student in high school, a camp counselor, a hospital volunteer, and participated in community theatre with her dad. Jennifer Ann’s Group was founded by her father.

Drew Crecente
Jennifer Ann's Group
+1 404-729-7425
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