⏳ Less Than 2 Months Left: G4C Student Challenge, Esports, Game Plan & More

Welcome to the February G4C Learn Newsletter! With just two months remaining in the 2025-2026 G4C Student Challenge, this is the perfect time for young creators to prepare their submissions before the March 30th deadline.

This month, we’re sharing a mix of G4C Learn updates and upcoming opportunities, including the Next-Gen Summit, the Verizon Innovative Learning Esports League, the Game Plan for Museum Educators, and a first look at the 2026 Games for Change Festival.

- G4C Learn Team

With less than 2 months left in the G4C Student Challenge, there is still plenty of time to bring the G4C Student Challenge into your classroom, school, or out-of-school program.

Young creators ages 10-25 all around the world are invited to create an impact games and other media for a chance to win a $10,000 scholarship and amazing prizes, including an all expenses paid trip to the Games for Change Festival! 

• 🥣 Outgrow Hunger: Caring for natural spaces that nourish communities and combat hunger

• 🚗 Own the Road: Promoting safer behavior on roads and around vehicles

• 🌳 All in for Nature: Reefs and Rainforests: Protecting threatened ecosystems through community action

📅 Submission deadline: March 30, 2026

Is your project ready to go? Submit today through the button below!

🏢 G4C Staff Office Hours: Do you need support with your submission or guidance on getting your students to the finish line? Join our virtual office hours for Q + A, advice, and support with the final stage of  the G4C Student Challenge.

• Educator Office Hours: Thursday, March 5th, 4 PM ET

• Student Office Hours: Monday, Feb 23, 3 PM ET

The NYC G4C Next-Gen Summit is back and bigger than ever! This immersive, youth-focused event brings together public high school students in the tri-state area to learn, build essential skills, and connect with peers and professionals in the gaming industry. 

The NYC Next-Gen Summit will feature:

• 🎮 Social impact game jams building creativity, collaboration, and game design skills

• 💬 Game industry meet-and-greets exploring future careers in tech and gaming

• ⚙️ Hands-on workshops equipping students with future-ready skills for success in the world of game design

Stay tuned as we expand the Next-Gen Summit through our international chapters and partners who will be hosting summits in Istanbul, Lagos, and Los Angeles! 🛫

The Verizon Innovative Learning Esports League with G4C is a free league for middle school students in the US. This league is centered on well-being, social-emotional learning, and positive competition.

Program includes:

• 🎮 A competition model focused on prioritizing teamwork and emotional growth

• 🧑‍🏫 Educator training and onboarding supported by PlayVS

• ⚙️ Professional mentorship and exposure to future pathways in esports and related industries

• ☑️ A fully scheduled season from pre-season through playoffs

• 🏆 Playoffs and championships that motivate and empower students

Looking for a high school esports option? PlayVS also offers a separate, free high school league here.

Join the Spring 2026 Game Plan for Museum Educators! 🏛️

Game Plan is a FREE intensive 16-20 hour professional development program for museum educators, empowering them to integrate games and play into their museums by adapting methods and materials from the Games for Change Intro to Game Design curriculum. Game Plan will also prepare educators as game-based learning experts to bring the Games for Change Student Challenge to their museum and community.

Game Plan will kick off on Wednesday, April 8th, and continue every Wednesday from 12-2 pm EST through Wednesday, May 27th.

🚨 Limited to 20 museum educators, so sign up today! 

🥁 Introducing the 2026 Games for Change Festival: Reimagining Play! 

Join us at this year’s Festival, taking place at the Glasshouse in New York City on July 21-22, 2026, and delve into the intersection of education, entertainment, technology, and community engagement, and how it enables us to envision better futures and test bold ideas. 

The Festival will bring together inspiring talks and panels, including a Games and Learning track, interactive arcades, immersive design workshops, plus the 2026 G4C Awards. This year's Festival introduces new session formats designed to foster deeper engagement and hands-on learning.

 ✨ Educator Pricing Available!
At checkout, select “Standard: Non-Profit / Edu / Indie (Early Bird).”

🚨 Early-bird pricing ends March 31, 2026

Stay connected with us and follow the hashtag #G4C2026 to stay up to date on speakers, games, early-bird tickets, discounts, and more, coming soon!

How do you turn a decade of work into infrastructure that can reach students anywhere? Our new G4C blog is an education deep dive from the 2025 Impact Report that explores that question. From celebrating the Student Challenge's 10th anniversary to launching the G4C Learn website with free game design resources for students and educators, 2025 was about building systems that work across contexts and geographies. Read the full post to see how partnerships, programs, and new infrastructure are shaping the next decade of game-based learning!

Do you teach world history to high school students? We need your feedback! Help shape an empathy-building game exploring immigrant stories. 📚

The creators of NORMANDIE are looking for educators to participate in a focus group providing feedback on the game, which explores the stories of Jewish refugees who faced persecution in Europe during WWII. After, they will join a Zoom conversation to:

• Share feedback on the game as a teaching and learning tool

• Review and provide input on accompanying curriculum materials

• Offer guidance on piloting the game in high school history classrooms

Time commitment: 2.5 hours 
Stipend: $150

Do you know educators who would be interested in bringing games and play into their classrooms with the professional support and community of G4C? Share this newsletter with them!