The Institute of Play is a nonprofit games and learning space. The organization's Executive Director Katie Salen co-founded Quest to Learn, a game based learning middle school in New York City. She and her faculty and students are exploring how games work as learning systems.

Inside this ground-breaking school, students are dropped into complex challenge-based contexts, which they have no ability to solve at the beginning of the program. During a 10-week learning process, the kids are given smaller challenges that help them acquire skills that help them tackle the original problem. 

Quest to Learn teacher Al Doyle says Quest to Learn is trying to prove that games can help kids think more deeply and "more abstractly about everything else." 

"One things games do do very very well is they understand how to incentivize players to want to get better," said Salen. 

Cultural historian Johan Huizinga once hailed games as primary learning tools, key to the development of culture and civilization. In the year, 2014 his theory can still be applied and with just cause. From schools to corporations to the military, the power of play never fails because in games clear goals are stated, and motivating factors like winning are a part of the equation. Plus, immediate feedback is given during a game, which reinforces impact. 

Here are some other elements of game-based learning that make it so effective. 

Challenges - are really important as players are willing to try repeatedly to master a topic needed to get them to a new level of the game. It has been demonstrated that incorporating challenges into learning results in motivational benefits. Challenges also encourage students to compare their progress to others and help teachers assess what students know.

Narrative/stories/scenarios - Video game designers use stories to ensure the player experiences a coherent narrative progression. In education stories can be used to structure the student’s experience in order for him to achieve specific educational objectives. Storytelling can be used to feature challenging tasks and present adventures. 

Goal Orientation - In Game Based Learning goals help to focus learners on the task and help them select or construct strategies for goal accomplishment. 

Simulation – is a powerful learning tool that encourages exploration by allowing learners to manipulate parameters and visualize results. It can also provide learning environments that can help learners understand the types of problems and opportunities that real experts face. Authentic learning environments are also engaging to learners and provide them with challenging problems to solve.

Personalization – Personal Learning Environments are systems that help learners take control of and manage their own learning. They provide support for students to set learning goals, to manage their learning and to communicate with others in the process of learning. Games and simulations have the capability of offering educational experiences and materials in a number of different formats that may appeal to different learners.

Freedom to Fail - Through game – based learning the students are free to do things that would look like failure in other contexts, allowing them to learn from their mistakes, as well as their successes.

On March 19, NPR aired a segment about the skills gap problem in the U.S. Community colleges and trade schools are currenlty working to better prepare students for the global market with training problems. Some schools are even looking to efforts in Europe for guidance. But are these initiatives effective?

At Pixlwise, we think every learning experience should be engaging and entertaining, and revolve around storytelling. What do you think? 

Listen to the NPR segment and read the transcript below to learn more. 

[TRANSCRIPT] 

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

One big challenge in the U.S. economy is the skills gap. Employers are finding workers just don't have the skills to get the job done. The White House has focused on the problem. At a manufacturing plant this year President Obama said the United States has to improve job training programs and community colleges and trade schools are trying. Susanna Capelouto reports on why Europe might have some tips.

SUSANNA CAPELOUTO, BYLINE: A group of teachers at Atlanta Technical College recently took a class on how to teach German style. And they discovered that tests will have to be given in new ways. It will be...

(SOUNDBITE OF CLASS)

NORBERT FUHRMAN: Totally different from what you know. Multiple choice test - no way. We don't have that anymore.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: True or false?

CAPELOUTO: Their instructor is Norbert Fuhrman, a veteran teacher from a vocational college in Detmold, Germany. He's trying to introduce his American colleagues to the style known as problem based learning. It's where students from different departments work on projects together to learn skills.

FUHRMAN: Here in the U.S.A. students study for tests. Major question: Will it be on the test? But in Germany the system is project oriented.

CAPELOUTO: And that project learning is part of an elaborate training system where companies must hire apprentices for three years and they come as young as 16. I recently visited a small town in Northern Germany where I met such a teenager. Bianka Guluk was just ready to start a trade.

BIANKA GULUK: (through translator) You go to school for 10 years and you just don't want to go anymore. At least I didn't want to. You want to know what it's like to work.

CAPELOUTO: Now Bianka sits in a small office of a solar and plumbing installation business. She still goes to school but only six days a month. She's mastered the names of plumbing parts and knows how to figure labor cost. This teenager already has real life responsibilities.

GULUK: (through translator) It's cool. You create the invoice by yourself send it out and you see in the account that customers pay the bill you wrote. And they don't complain that the apprentice did something wrong.

CAPELOUTO: When Lowell Turner heard about 16 year-olds deciding on a career, he was skeptical and thought teens should not be boxed into a profession that early. But then the Cornell University professor became an expert on the German apprentice system and likes it a lot.

LOWELL TURNER: You don't get trapped in something. You know, by 16 typically you know if you're going to be an A student that's going to go to an elite college or not. It's our mid-kids that are not going to elite colleges that fall through the cracks. You know, and then we get a lot of high-school dropouts.

CAPELOUTO: And Turner says once an apprenticeship is complete, students in Germany can still go to college. He says while the apprenticeship is the reason Germany's workforce is one of the highest skilled in the world, he also knows it's impossible to import it to a U.S. job market, because industry here is driven by short-term goals.

TURNER: Because the German system relies more on long-term capital. So we have these short-term capital markets which mean we have to show quarterly profits, which means that it's very hard to make long-term investments in your workforce.

CAPELOUTO: The U.S. also has weak unions, Turner says, and in Germany unions have a lot of say in workforce training. But the biggest influence on guaranteeing skilled workers in Germany are the chambers of commerce which give out the apprenticeship certificates, says Martina Stellmaszek with the German American Chamber of Commerce in Atlanta.

MARTINA STELLMASZEK: It's a very different system where actually it's mandated by law that each company has to be a member of a chamber. So this goes back hundreds of years. The chambers fulfill a lot of different roles and education is really one of these big roles.

CAPELOUTO: There are plenty of pilot programs at community colleges around the country that dabble in creating a better workforce, but as long as state and local governments are the main provider of vo-tech education, experts say it will take a while to fill the skills gap in the U.S. For NPR News I'm Susanna Capelouto in Atlanta.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

GREENE: This is NPR News.

On March 22, PlayMob's charity initiative Give8-Bit is lending its gaming expertise and contacts to support World Water Day. 

"In 2013 the gaming industry was one of the most active contributors to charity with events being set up around the world," said PlayMob founder Jude Ower.

Give8-Bit's aim is to enable gamers/developers/YouTubers/livestreamers to give back in the simplest way possible. We're really excited to see what gamers can do when they come together"

From adding new components to popular games to fun competitions, the day is going to revolve around the importance of water in our world.

Indie Royale will host a World Water Day bundle, Pixelberry has added a special quest in High School Story and Tingly Games will donate funds. There'll also be a Maker Studios livestream with games, challenges and competitions featuring prizes from Ubisoft, Game, Curve, Insert Coin, Sony XDev, Bossa Studios and Tecmo Koei.

Macon Money

Developed by Area Code and funded by the Knight Foundation, Macon Money, sets the stage for sending bonds in Macon, Georgia. Within the game recipients from different ethnic, social, and economic backgrounds have to creatively collaborate with one another to find the opposite piece of their bond and cash it in together as a team. Once redeemed, both players can use their money at local shops, thus uniting the community and growing their local economy.

To assist players in finding their missing pieces, the game creators offer an online forum on the game website. To date, over $8,000 have been awarded to players and put back into the local economy. Players have been spending their Macon Money to support local apparel shops, restaurants, entertainment and service venues. 

People Power

Surprisingly, People Power is the only “traditional” one player game in your top five. Game creator Steve York’s previous game, A Force More Powerful is considered a classic in the space. People Power is the sequel dealing with the concept of non-violent resistance and was created in association with the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict.

Improving and simplifying the formula established in A Force More Powerful, People Power puts you in a the position of a change agent in a small community. In the game, you must recruit people to your cause, seek funds and take a series of actions that raise awareness in various districts. The game simulation helps the player realize that creating their own non-violent movement takes careful planning and recruiting of dedicated team members.

Participatory Chinatown

This game that centers around community involvement was created by the Asian Community Development Corporation, members of the Engagement Game Lab, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and game developer Muzzy Lane. Participatory Chinatown was designed to integrate into the urban planning and development of Boston’s Chinatown. You can play as 15 different characters of varying “classes” and backgrounds and explore the privileges and challenges they face.

This 3D, web based game can be played alone or with other players. As a single player, you can explore the town and comment on different development sites with the specific knowledge you’ve gained through a certain character’s eyes. When playing as a group, the game aims to spark a discussion about how Chinatown’s various projects truly affect different groups.

Interrobang

Interrobang is a league based game for middle school and high school honor students. Funded by the Microsoft Partners in Learning Program, Interrobang sends players to complete “missions” that focus on exploring your local environment, helping your community or creating and sharing art.

Chili's is ramping up it's social good initiatives.

Image: @boetter, http://www.flickr.com/photos/jakecaptive/49915119/, CC by 2.0

This post was written by guest columnist and TED staffer Stephanie Kent. You can follow her on Twitter @StephKent. 

Our digital connectivity shows no sign of slowing down and the value of quality offline time has become immeasurable, which might explain why innovators are showing up to creative conferences by the busload. Leaders in the conference space are thinking beyond cocktail hours and breakfast panels to provide their attendees with a new backdrop for their action-oriented crowds: collaborative workshops.  

Brainstorms, hackathons, and creative prototyping sessions are making a splash on the event scene and seem to be thriving where professionals from many disciplines are gathered. Conference organizers (and their sponsors) are investing resources and program time to inspiring conference-goers to take action and create something meaningful together.  Here’s a look at three events that offer collaboration opportunities in addition to their mainstage programming.

The Feast

The New York City-based conference, The Feast, is a two-day event that brings together entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and brands to address some of society’s most pressing challenges. The year 2012 saw the launch of The Feast Worldwide, which effectively scaled the event’s aim to take on the biggest problems of our day to dinner parties all around the globe. 

During the conference, a bevy of presentations, physical exhibits, and networking sessions are focused on tackling the year’s chosen challenges. Onsite attendees also liaise with over 500 groups around the world hosting similar experiences over satellite dinners. The challenges at The Feast are entirely a group effort. Unique from most events, all attendees participate in one of the projects, and their action-focused problem solving is aided by online resources and dedicated partners who aren’t afraid to put their money where the solution is. 

SXSW

Texas conference giant SXSW stands out in its approach to collaboration as a tool for learning and professional development. The Austin event has a bit of something for everyone, and in the case of group collaboration, SXSW Interactive Workshops are at the helm in this department. These sessions offer a deeper dive the tune of up to eight hours per workshop into a range of topics led by innovators in various industries. Unlike the other conferences mentioned here, SXSW workshops are focused on specific skills (creative coding, typography, or buying and selling Bitcoin, for instance) and serve to utilize the collective energy of the group to learn or build upon a tool or talent.

There’s no shortage of courses to choose from. The upcoming March event prompts attendees to take their pick of over 80 Workshop sessions, but it takes a bit of browsing to find a truly collaborative, action-driven project in the lineup. The upcoming Story Lab workshop on Domestic Violence promises to connect and inspire, prompting attendees to break into teams and create engagement campaigns for the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence. 

TEDActive

TED’s sister event attracts innovators in technology, entertainment, design and beyond, and its TEDActive Projects are as varied as its attendee base. In recent years, Project topics have spanned productivity, begging the questions “what’s your lifehack?” to “how might we use color as an effective tool?” to “how do we measure the impact of good?). 

Prior to the conference, attendees are invited to signup for a Project team, supported by one of the conference’s partner organizations and led by a facilitator from design firm extraordinaire IDEO. Teams of 15-20 attendees meet online in the weeks before the conference to get acquainted and begin early discussions about their project theme, aided by TED’s network of university partners and online project collaborators. Once they arrive to TEDActive, they prototype their ideas and present their findings to the rest of the conference by week’s end.

Among the interesting elements of the TEDActive Project is that a great idea is encouraged to take any form. In 2011, the Travel Project, hosted by Delta, had attendees reimagining a “beta plane” that humanized the travel experience, while 2012’s Urbanization team planned and created a model city run on electricity born of the kinetic energy from onlookers’ footsteps. 

Image:

Ten years ago, 40 people created a small community with the realization that games were becoming a powerful medium for instigating social change. From there, the nonprofit and movement Games for Change was born. After seven years of dedication to using digital games to have a positive impact on the world, G4C is now a global event. 

Asi Burak, founder and president of Games for Change, said that in his community games are treated as a medium, not as entertainment; similar to books, documentaries and theater. 

“They are becoming powerful, winning the philanthropic competition and time, and reaching to a wider audience that doesn’t delve into it,” Burak said. “[The games] will become much more diverse and they have interactive qualities with different perspectives.”

And of course, there is a wide array of platforms for games, including mobile devices. Even in developing countries it is hard not to come across at least one phone in each household. So, are cellular phones a big tool in aiding social change with games?

“Mobile is a great choice when you’re looking for direct action, location based services, and accessibility,” shared Burak. “At the same time, mobile has its limitations and it is challenging to rise above the noise. There is a lot of competition in the app store. However, any gaming platform is relevant. It is more a question of what audience you’re trying to reach and whether the selected platform is appropriate or not.”

The Games for Change arcade showcases the games that are the most successful. On average, more than 800 people attend the Games for Change Festival. The question then arises, how do they approach a wider and more diverse audience? This year the annual G4C Festival will partner with the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival, which is providing interactive opportunities for content creators to reach the next generation. Through this event, Games for Change will reach over 100,000 people. 

“There are many perceptions we need to break about gamers versus non-gamers, and games only being for kids, or only for entertainment,” said Burak. “Games are becoming available everywhere, some are very close to our hearts.” 

There are countless games that are being used as a medium for social change, but two examples are PeaceMaker and Gone Home. The former is a game of choices, challenging the player to establish peace in the Middle East. It is inspired by real events, uses real news headlines, and allows the player to choose an Israeli or Palestinian perspective. Gone Home represents a new generation of games exploring personal stories and connecting to the LGBT community. 

An interesting change Burak points out is that for many years games were being submitted to the G4C Festival by NGOs, but this year it’s young designers that are making these games, not for money, but to make a difference in the world. 

 “As the sector evolves, the people who create the games and the people who fund them are looking into different impact goals. Some games are created to raise awareness, others to change behavior. There are games that focus on civic learning and others that amplify existing programs,” said Burak.

This post was originally posted on The Toolbox and written by Ruthie Ackerman,  a consultant working with individuals and brands on storytelling and community building. In 2014, she began a blog experiment called The Experience Economy to track her commitment to living experientially. Her motto: We are what we create. You can follow her on Twitter @ruackerman. 

I call it my experience experiment. 

I have committed to spending 2014 living experientially, which means that as opposed to spending my disposable income on feel-good purchases, like a new handbag or a fabulous pair of shoes, I have chosen to purchase experiences instead. 

The reason I made this commitment was because as I looked back on 2013 the one thing that jumped out at me was that although my salary had increased exponentially over the last five years, my happiness had not. I had those Isabel Marant ankle boots I always wanted (two pairs actually). Nars oxblood red nail polish in Chinatown that I swore would make me look (and feel) more put together (Read: successful). A new purse from Tory Burch I thought I had to have. All of this is to say that I had every material thing I could possibly want. What I longed for were more experiences that connected me to the world around me.

I am not alone. There are any number of websites dedicated to those who want to live more simply. Yet I wasn’t looking to be an ascetic, rejecting all modern comforts. What I wanted was to be happier. And the research I read told me I would be if I spent my money on experiences and not stuff. 

So I began: Instead of buying the sunglasses I thought would make me look like Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, I bought a monthly yoga pass. Instead of another run-of-the-mill dinner out at a restaurant, I signed up for a silent meal. Instead of the leather pants I wanted when all of my friends were buying them, I went on a weekend trip.

I am only a few months into my experiment, but already I can see that the lessons I have learned by living experientially are critical for another group as well: entrepreneurs. 

Having experiences means connecting with the world around us and with each other, which is one of the “ten secret elements” of entrepreneurs, according to Babson College, one of the highest ranked schools for entrepreneurship in the world. Entrepreneurs understand the need for community and what better way to bond than being thrown together to learn from and inspire each other. In fact, whole industries have been built around this idea: just take a look at Startup Weekend, which is a series of “weekend-long, hands-on experiences.”

Immersive experiential learning is also considered an essential part of entrepreneurship education at Stanford. During spring break last year, for example, students were taken on a cruise ship bound for the southern tip of South America for an experiential-learning adventure called EntrepreneurSHIP. By leading a project, being challenged and pivoting an idea, students had the experiences all entrepreneurs need to grow and thrive.  And, they learned a lot in the process. “The best learning is experiential,” saysTina Seelig, who came up with the idea of the EntrepreneurSHIP.

This post was written by guest columnist, Alexandra Ostrow, an independent consultant specializing in strategy and marketing for social impact and innovation. In 2013, Alexandra established WhyWhisper Collective, a network of experienced freelance professionals serving as dedicated partners to social enterprises, impact-focused brands, and nonprofit organizations. You can follow her on Twitter @AlexandraOstrow.

Did you know that nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names? Or that 22,000 children die each day due to poverty? 

A year ago, I didn't know these statistics. What I did know was drawn from my own life experience. 

I knew that when I traveled I saw children suffering from malnutrition, and I encountered communities without access to clean water. I knew that on the very same block that I lived there were people requiring food stamps to purchase dinner for their families. And, I knew that too many of my friends, who had been victims of sexual assault, were subsequently told to keep quiet by those who were meant to protect them. 

Back then, my work revolved around building digital marketing strategies to increase sales and visibility for corporate clients. While I would take on pro bono projects in my spare time, I wasn't sure how such pursuits could financially be a full-time commitment. Meanwhile, I couldn't shake the feeling that I could be more useful -- that with so many problems in the world, I needed to be doing something about them. 

In May of 2013, everything changed. I made the (somewhat impulsive) decision to go out on my own, and began actively looking for ways I could help make a difference. I met with a nonprofit organization working to establish healthcare partnerships in Latin America, and discussed how they could begin reaching a younger demographic. I conducted endless research on Benefit Corporations, and came to understand the difference between the certification and legal structure. I debated the pros and cons of corporate social responsibility (further reading, here).

A pivotal moment came during a conversation with a social entrepreneur working to empower Ugandan women via manufacturing. She told me how factory labor wasn't considered suitable work for a Ugandan woman, and that men only invest 30% of their income back into their families, while women invest 90%. She explained that by employing 40 women in a factory we could send over 200 children to school. She had found a factory that had agreed to employ women, had hired consultants to optimize working conditions, and was obsessively researching living wage. On the US side of things, this powerhouse woman was negotiating partnerships with luxury and lifestyle designers, so as to ensure a healthy return. Together, we talked through various options for ensuring a sustainable sales funnel, put together communication plans for crisis management, drafted storylines explaining their social responsibility. Throughout this process I began to more clearly see the value of my corporate experience when applied to social innovation. 

So, what does this mean for my career today?

Where I had previously focused on driving conversation around a brand, I now focus on building awareness of a societal issue or innovation

Where I had previously advised on new products & services, I now advise on socially impactful revenue models 

Where I had previously created campaigns to drive sales, I now create campaigns to drive funds. 

The types of projects I take on?

Expanding a program that provides free integrative healthcare to cancer patients and communities in need. 

Employing women in Uganda and ensuring education for their children. 

Scaling up a volunteer travel experience that empowers local communities. 

Promoting infant safety and education among new moms. 

This post was written by Maleehah Ahmhad for The Toolbox. 

As a nanny, kids are a part of my everyday life and I’ve seen many grow up to become young successful individuals. I have seen them use their business skills to raise money. I have seen them use their numerous talents and apply them in school and in extracurricular activities. My biggest observation is that the youth of today are combining their skills and talents to improve their local and global society, inspiring and motivating older generations to help them achieve their goals.

Adam and Matthew Toren make up a small percentage of people who make it their life mission to empower kids through teaching them entrepreneurship skills. As co-authors of the book, Kidpreneurs, the Toren brothers are educating children on creative ways to get involved in business. The Toren brothers also host live Kidpreneurs shows, and go into communities to work with local businesses and schools to create customized programs. These shows feature the same eight underlying steps: company name, what we do, who are your customers, start up costs, selling points, advertising, need to do and price.

It's important to point out that the word youth can sometimes be deceiving, as it encompasses a wide age range. Youth Social Innovation Capital Fund combines impact investing with social entrepreneurship through their vast mentor network and financial investments. This model is valuable for young professionals from the ages of 18-35, giving them business expertise, while empowering them them to take on complex social issues. Two of the social enterprises resulting from this fund include Fresh City Farmsand Twenty One Toys.

In an elegant 2010 TED talk about transforming education, Sir Ken Robinson said something excruciatingly poignant. He said, “We have sold ourselves into a fast food model of education, and it’s impoverishing our spirits and our energy as much as fast food is depleting our physical bodies.” 

He’s right. Most students aren’t engaged the way they should be, and their individual talents are not nurtured and celebrated nearly enough. On the contrary, in many schools individuality is shunned, which results in little to no communication skills or desire to collaborate among students.  

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the country’s high school graduation rate has reached 80 percent, the highest in American history. While this number is promising, an estimated 1 million students still will not graduate, meaning 1 million students will not have the same opportunities their graduating peers will have. This is more than a problem; it’s a national emergency that needs to be addressed for the sake of America’s prosperity and competitive edge. 

In 1970, the top three skills required by the Fortune 500 were reading, writing and arithmetic. In 1999 the top three skills in demand were teamwork, problem-solving, and interpersonal communication. We need schools to develop these proficiencies in young people, which is why making business leaders an integral part of our education system is crucial. 

The New York City-based nonprofit PENCIL creates and supports school-business collaboration that aligns business expertise to address public school needs. Working with corporations and professional networks to identify experienced volunteers, the organization concentrates in five Areas of Focus including College and Career Readiness, School Leadership, Family Engagement, Engagement and Infrastructure. 

“We’ve seen so many different ways that businesses contribute their skills, insights, resources, and passion to help our schools,” said Gayle Villani, PENCIL’s Vice President of Programs. “For more than ten years, Ogilvy & Mather has worked with PENCIL to bring “The Future Marketers Program” to New York City Schools, showing students how to storyboard advertising ideas, segment their target markets, and work with budgets to determine who to advertise to and how.” 

Advancing education and helping students fully meet their potential helps cultivate great employees and successful companies. This is just one of the many reasons the level of business-school collaboration needs to go deeper than corporations making donations to schools and sponsoring scholarships. According to the report “Lasting Impact: A Business Leader’s Playbook for supporting America’s Schools,” 90 percent of reported business engagements in schools showed positive results. However, most of the involvements were “fragmented instances of checkbook philanthropy.” 

In PENCIL’s case, the businesses working with the organization are taking a much more hands-on approach. 

“In the area of school leadership, JetBlue Airways President and CEO, Dave Barger, helped then Principal Monica George overhaul her school’s entire culture by adding incentive programs for teachers, revamping the school’s teacher lounge, putting up a rewards blackboard in a public space, and even playing music when people entered the building,” shared Villani. 

Harnessing technology for social change, PENCIL is working with companies developing tools to help schools assess their students’ academic progress. The international consulting firm A.T. Kearney created an original data system that provides real-time feedback on student outcomes. In Staten Island, Computer Technology Consultant Inc’s Warren Black brought VR Quest to the students at PS 3. Villani says VR Quest allows students to design and play in educational, virtual reality video games based on themes such as “Life On Mars,” Egypt Quest,” or “How To Be A Hero.” 

This post was written by guest columnist, Alexandra Ostrow, an independent consultant specializing in strategy and marketing for social impact and innovation. In 2013, Alexandra established WhyWhisper Collective, a network of experienced freelance professionals serving as dedicated partners to social enterprises, impact-focused brands, and nonprofit organizations. You can follow her on Twitter @AlexandraOstrow.

Did you know that nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names? Or that 22,000 children die each day due to poverty? 

A year ago, I didn't know these statistics. What I did know was drawn from my own life experience. 

I knew that when I traveled I saw children suffering from malnutrition, and I encountered communities without access to clean water. I knew that on the very same block that I lived there were people requiring food stamps to purchase dinner for their families. And, I knew that too many of my friends, who had been victims of sexual assault, were subsequently told to keep quiet by those who were meant to protect them. 

Back then, my work revolved around building digital marketing strategies to increase sales and visibility for corporate clients. While I would take on pro bono projects in my spare time, I wasn't sure how such pursuits could financially be a full-time commitment. Meanwhile, I couldn't shake the feeling that I could be more useful -- that with so many problems in the world, I needed to be doing something about them. 

In May of 2013, everything changed. I made the (somewhat impulsive) decision to go out on my own, and began actively looking for ways I could help make a difference. I met with a nonprofit organization working to establish healthcare partnerships in Latin America, and discussed how they could begin reaching a younger demographic. I conducted endless research on Benefit Corporations, and came to understand the difference between the certification and legal structure. I debated the pros and cons of corporate social responsibility (further reading, here).

A pivotal moment came during a conversation with a social entrepreneur working to empower Ugandan women via manufacturing. She told me how factory labor wasn't considered suitable work for a Ugandan woman, and that men only invest 30% of their income back into their families, while women invest 90%. She explained that by employing 40 women in a factory we could send over 200 children to school. She had found a factory that had agreed to employ women, had hired consultants to optimize working conditions, and was obsessively researching living wage. On the US side of things, this powerhouse woman was negotiating partnerships with luxury and lifestyle designers, so as to ensure a healthy return. Together, we talked through various options for ensuring a sustainable sales funnel, put together communication plans for crisis management, drafted storylines explaining their social responsibility. Throughout this process I began to more clearly see the value of my corporate experience when applied to social innovation. 

So, what does this mean for my career today?

Where I had previously focused on driving conversation around a brand, I now focus on building awareness of a societal issue or innovation

Where I had previously advised on new products & services, I now advise on socially impactful revenue models 

Where I had previously created campaigns to drive sales, I now create campaigns to drive funds. 

The types of projects I take on?

Expanding a program that provides free integrative healthcare to cancer patients and communities in need. 

Employing women in Uganda and ensuring education for their children. 

Scaling up a volunteer travel experience that empowers local communities. 

Promoting infant safety and education among new moms. 

Interactive games are set to be the new frontier in education for healthcare professionals (HCPs) according to a leading expert in e-learning.

Speaking at the European CME Forum in London last week, Prof Peter Henning of Karlsruhe University in Germany explained that making learning “fun” could reverse a declining trend for the use of e-learning as part of continuing medical education (CME).

“Current mainstream CME e-learning courses are nice, but the number of participants is going down,” said Prof Henning, references such examples as an online eye surgery video/text course at the Virtual University of Bavaria that has just 56 participants.

He added: “Do we stick to such types of courses that have to be paid for, updated regularly and you have to be registered to participate? The answer is, of course, no.”

Instead, the use of 'serious games' with learning aspects should be considered as an alternative, said Prof Henning, noting that gaming has long been used as a form of education.

“Playing a game was one of the earliest strategies for learning complex patterns,” he said. “Whenever we play we are learning. So the question has to be: Why did we ever take out the fun out of learning?”

To support his point, Prof Henning provided example projects submitted to the European E-Learning Award eureleA, for which Prof Henning is head of the jury

These included the INMEDEA Simulator, which allows HCPs to example virtual patients in an online clinic, and a programme designed by Line Communications that educates doctors on the classification of bone fractures via a goal-based approach that incorporates time challenges and other gaming elements.

The hardware for gaming could also be beneficial in healthcare education, according to Prof Henning, who noted the potential of the Microsoft Kinect – a piece of kit for the Xbox console that recognises body movements.

This technology is already finding uses in healthcare, with Microsoft teaming up with Tokyo Women's Medical University to devise a non-touch system tocontrol a video camera during surgery.

Storytelling at it's finest transpires when a cause and effect dynamic is put into motion -- when a narrative stays with you and compels you to think and behave differently. This is the mission and lifeline of Picture Motion, a boutique firm that specializes in developing social action campaigns for independent films and documentaries with a humanitarian message. We caught up with Picture Motion Founder Christie Marchese to find out how she and her team work with filmmakers to ensure that their narrative has the most social impact possible, and how her career in campaign development and former job at Participant Media sparked her entrepreneurial journey. 

The Toolbox:  You've been building social action campaigns for films and documentaries for years now. What was the transition like going from Participant Media to starting your own company? 

CM: Participant Media is an incredible company that has paved the road for social impact documentaries. The company is made up of passionate, brilliant individuals that I’m so honored to have worked with. It’s how I met Wendy Cohen, who is my partner at Picture Motion. Much of what we do for independently released films was learned from our time as part of the social impact team at Participant. I started Picture Motion to create grassroots marketing and impact campaigns for films that don’t have the Participant engine behind them, because we believe that any social issue film with a good story can create impact if it has the right campaign. 

The Toolbox: How do you choose your projects? 

CM: We ask ourselves two questions: Who on our team is passionate about the issue presented in the film, and are we the best people to create an impact campaign for this film. While we pride ourselves on our experience and creativity, every campaign is different and requires people willing to fight for that film. We get our motivation from the issues that we are passionate about, and the challenge of creating and executing a successful social impact campaign. 

The Toolbox:  How closely do you work with the filmmakers on the campaigns you create? How does that process work?  

CM: Very closely. A member or members of our team become embedded in the film campaign team. We work from our clients’ offices and require in person time on every campaign we take. We think of it like creating a family that will be working very closely together for 6 months to a year. Building trust early on is important. 

The Toolbox: What are essential ingredients for executing a successful social action campaign? 

CM: Your team needs to believe in hard work, creative thinking and have an ability to adapt. The campaign needs to also understand the importance of creative partnerships, online engagement and grassroots screenings.  

The Toolbox: There's a lot of emphasis in the digital space around storytelling. What makes a good social impact story?  

CM: The subjects of the film and the storytelling done by the filmmaker are what drive a good social impact film. If the filmmakers can make an audience relate to a subject, they can then empathize with their experience and are more likely to care about the issue presented, and thus take action. The power of film, and why we work in this space, is the potential of a great story to inspire that change. 

The Toolbox:  What's the most challenging and rewarding aspect of running your own company? 

CM: The most challenging aspect is all the paperwork! I did not set out to build a company. I set out to create campaigns that would drive audiences to films, and create a successful path to action. The demand for our work grew, so we grew.  I know how to run great campaigns for our clients, but I’ve had to learn how to run a great business.  The most rewarding part is the people. I work with an incredible group of women who continue to innovate and push the boundaries of our campaigns and teach me something every week. I also love hearing from the people who send emails and tweets about their experience with the film and how it changed them. That direct feedback is what keeps me going.  

The Toolbox: Anything you'd like to add? 

CM: Yes. Shameless plug. See one of these films, in theaters now! Inequality for All, God Loves Uganda, A River Changes Course, The Muslims are Coming! And coming soon, American Promise and When I Walk!

Did you know that there are more than 102 million working age Americans that do not have a job? 

Yes, I know that number sounds absolutely crazy, but it is true.  Right now, there are more than 11 million Americans that are considered to be “officially unemployed”, and there are more than 91 millionAmericans that are not employed and that are considered to be “not in the labor force”.  When you add those two numbers together, the total is more than 102 million.  Overall, the number of working age Americans that do not have a job has increased by about 27 million since the year 2000.  But aren’t things getting better?  After all, the mainstream media is full of headlines about how “good” the jobs numbers for October were.  Sadly, the truth is that the mainstream media is not being straight with the American people.  As you will see below, we are in the midst of a long-term unemployment crisis in America, and things got even worse last month.

In this day and age, it is absolutely imperative that people start thinking for themselves.  Just because the media tells you that something is true does not mean that it actually is.  If unemployment was actuallygoing down, the percentage of the working age population that has a job should actually be going up.  As you are about to see, that is simply not the case.  The following are 10 facts about the growing unemployment crisis in America that will blow your mind…

#1 The percentage of working age Americans with a job fell to 58.3 percent in October.  The lowest that number has been at any point since the year 2000 is 58.2 percent.  In other words, there has been absolutely no “jobs recovery”.  During the last recession, the civilian employment-population ratio dropped from about 63 percent to below 59 percent and it has stayed there for 50 months in a row.  Will the percentage of working age Americans with a job soon drop below the 58 percent mark?…

#2 The U.S. economy lost 623,000 full-time jobs last month.  But we are being told to believe that the economy is actually getting “better”.

#3 The number of American women with a job fell by 357,000 during the month of October.

#4 The average duration of unemployment in October 2013 was nearly three times as long as it was in October 2000.

#5 The number of Americans “not in the labor force” increased by an astounding 932,000 during October.  In other words, the Obama administration would have us believe that nearly a million people “disappeared” from the U.S. labor force in a single month.

#6 The number of Americans “not in the labor force” has grown by more than 11 million since Barack Obama first entered the White House.

#7 In October, the U.S. labor force participation rate fell from 63.2 percent to 62.8 percent.  It is now the lowest that it has been since 1978.  Below is a chart which shows how the labor force participation rate has been steadily declining since the year 2000.  How can the economy be “healthy” if the percentage of Americans that are participating in the labor force is continually declining?…

#8 If the labor force participation rate was still at the same level it was at when Barack Obama was elected in 2008, the official unemployment rate would be about 11 percent right now.  

#9 Even if you are working, that does not mean that you are able to take care of yourself and your family without any help.  In fact, approximately one out of every four part-time workers in America is living below the poverty line.  

#10 In January 2000, there were 75 million working age Americans that did not have a job.  Today, there are 102 million working age Americans that do not have a job.