November 26, 2024 – The Games for Change (G4C) Student Challenge, the flagship program of G4C Learn, is once again providing students with the opportunity to tackle global issues creatively and collaboratively through game design. This international competition is a dynamic platform for youth to develop digital games that drive social impact while building essential STEAM skills like coding, digital design, problem-solving, and collaboration. WPDI’s US-focused Domestic Harmonizer Program is partnering with G4C to expand the reach and impact of the 2024–2025 Student Challenge.
Since 2015, the Challenge has reached tens of thousands of students, many from public schools serving low-income communities. Nearly half of the participants are female, and over 60% are students of color, making this program a vital space for amplifying underrepresented voices and inspiring the next generation of changemakers.
WPDI is proud to partner with Games for Change. The partnership aims to empower youth to envision and create a more equitable, peaceful world by engaging them with real-world issues through the medium of interactive games. This is one of the main goals of our Domestic Harmonizer Program (DHP), which contributes to the development of youth leadership through classroom coursework as well as through school-wide initiatives, such as peer mediation and entrepreneurship, improved communications, problem solving, and interactive learning.
Monya Kian, DHP Director at WPDI, reflects on the long-term goals of this partnership: “The collaboration between WPDI and G4C empowers students to become architects of peace by encouraging the creation of interactive games that demonstrate how it’s possible to build a more compassionate world despite real-world challenges. We are excited to participate in this unique opportunity and delighted to showcase students’ top entries in our game arcade, ‘Hear Me Out.’”
This year’s Student Challenge introduces an exciting new theme, Peaceformers Challenge, supported by WPDI. Students are invited to design games that explore the complexities of building peace within imagined communities. The theme focuses on equitable resource sharing, and challenges participants to make decisions about food, water, and shelter while fostering fairness and leadership to achieve peaceful coexistence.
The Peaceformers Challenge theme complements WPDI’s mission of promoting transformative leadership and peacebuilding skills among youth. By participating, students develop creative problem-solving skills while deepening their understanding of fairness, equity, and conflict resolution—essential tools for their future as leaders and changemakers.
Both WPDI and G4C share a commitment to inclusivity and empowering underserved communities. The Student Challenge has proven to be a powerful vehicle for encouraging young people from all walks of life to see themselves as creators, innovators, and agents of change.
As part of the partnership, WPDI will actively support the program’s outreach efforts, ensuring that more students from diverse backgrounds have access to this transformative opportunity. By fostering creativity and critical thinking in youth, we are collectively shaping a generation ready to tackle global challenges with ingenuity and empathy.
The 2024–2025 G4C Student Challenge opens for student submissions on January 6, 2025, and culminates in an awards ceremony on June 12, 2025. WPDI looks forward to showcasing student entries that embody the spirit of peace and innovation.
Learn more about getting involved at gamesforchange.org/studentchallenge
