scholarship
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Strict visa rules are still keeping game devs out of the US
The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) Foundation awards scholarships each year to up-and-coming artists, writers and programmers from around the world. The scholarships offer passes to the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, plus a travel stipend, exclusive networking opportunities, tours of local studios, help with resumes and portfolios and one-on-one mentorships with industry veterans. For a developer trying to break into video games, it's a fantastic prize.
Bezos family donates $33 million to Dreamers scholarship program
A number of tech companies and executives have voiced support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. But Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie have just given $33 million in support to DACA recipients, also known as Dreamers. The two just donated the money to TheDream.US, which provides scholarships to Dreamers, and their donation will give 1,000 DACA recipients money to attend college. It's the largest donation in history of TheDream.US. "My dad came to the US when he was 16 as part of Operation Pedro Pan," Jeff Bezos said in a statement. "He landed in this country alone and unable to speak English. With a lot of grit and determination -- and the help of some remarkable organizations in Delaware -- my dad became an outstanding citizen, and he continues to give back to the country that he feels blessed him in so many ways. MacKenzie and I are honored to be able to help today's Dreamers by funding these scholarships."
Your kid's Google Doodle can win them a $30K scholarship
If you frequent the Google home page (and really who doesn't), you're familiar with Google Doodles; the search giant's series of art based on the company's logo that commemorates a date or person. Now it's opening up its homepage to one lucky kid. Beginning today, its annual "Doodle 4 Google" competition is accepting entries from US students K-12 for the chance to win a $30,000 scholarship. The theme is, "What makes me...me." Future college graduates can use any material they want and are encouraged to use a medium to showcases their uniqueness. The winning design will be featured on the site for one day. Entries must be submitted by December 7, 2015. So if you want to make a huge dent in your future college tuition, it's a good idea to get those creative juices flowing.
'Cards Against Humanity' expansion benefits women's STEM scholarship
Cards Against Humanity, the naughty fill-in-the-blank card game, today launched the $10 Science Pack, an expansion offering 30 cards written in collaboration with Bad Astronomer Phil Plait and Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal creator Zach Weinersmith. But that's not the coolest part: All proceeds raised by the Science Pack will be funneled into the Cards Against Humanity and SMBC Science Ambassador Scholarship, which offers full tuition coverage to women seeking undergraduate degrees in science, tech, engineering and mathematics. Applications will go live soon for the fall 2016 school year, and each one will be reviewed by a panel of more than 40 women working in STEM fields, including at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Harvard Medical School and the Smithsonian Institution.
Second US university extends League of Legends scholarships
A second school, Kentucky's University of Pikeville, has decided to join Illinois' Robert Morris University in offering scholarships to talented League of Legends players. This fall, the University of Pikeville will offer "at least 20 scholarships" to League of Legends players who will be treated much like other student athletes. "They'll have to have a certain GPA," said University of Pikeville new media director Bruce Parsons. "We'll look at them like student athletes. There will be practice time and video time when they have to study other teams for upcoming competitions." According to Parsons, the University of Pikeville League of Legends team will begin official tournament competition shortly after the start of the fall term. Despite NPR's flippancy, this makes a lot of sense, both for the students and the schools. While nowhere near as popular as the NFL or NBA, eSports has been growing exponentially of late - the Dota 2 International 2014 tournament was recently televised on one of the lesser ESPNs - which both affords gamers a scholarship opportunity and offers a new potential revenue stream for the increasingly large number of universities in danger of losing control over their other revenue-generating sports programs. [Image: Riot Games]
Hey, NPR: Stop trivializing eSports scholarships
On Monday, NPR's All Things Considered host Robert Siegel talked to New Tech City podcast host Manoush Zomorodi about Robert Morris University's new athletic scholarship program, the first of its kind in the United States – scholarships for League of Legends players. The hosts rattled off the stats: $500,000 for 30 scholarships, similar to some football scholarships the school offers. Zomorodi noted that 32 million people watched the final League of Legends championship game this year, more than watched the last game of the NBA finals. After talking to Robert Morris University's Associate Athletic Director Kurt Melcher, this happened: ZOMORODI: And from what I saw, Robert, it really was just like the football team or the track team - a tight-knit group. SIEGEL: (Laughter) So what's it like to be a collegiate e-athlete? Laughter. That's pulled directly from NPR's transcript of the broadcast, and you can listen to it here (this conversation at 3:08). During the final minutes of Siegel and Zomorodi's talk, there were titters and chuckles at factual information about the League of Legends scholarship. This bothered me.
University adds League of Legends team to its athletic program
Could being at wiz video games get you a scholarship and a college degree? As far-fetched of a dream as that may seem, it's now becoming a reality at one institute of higher learning. Robert Morris University in Illinois announced today that it will be forming an official League of Legends varsity team as part of its athletic program for the 2014-15 academic year. Team members will be treated on the same level as other athletes, meaning that they're eligible for tutoring, support, and scholarships. The team is a result of the university's associate athletic director's love of competitive PC gaming and acknowledgement that it requires the same level of teamwork as other sports. "Although e-sports have long been a part of the culture of gaming, competitions have seen a large surge in popularity in recent years," the university posted. "Robert Morris University recognizes the value and legitimacy of e-sports and is excited to add e-sports to its already rich athletic program."
Twitch, Newegg put $20,000 into High School StarLeague scholarship
High School StarLeague organizes esports competitions for high school students in North America, and this season it's offering a scholarship of more than $20,000 for the winners of its finals round in June. Twitch and Newegg each contributed $10,000 to High School StarLeague for the scholarship. "Through tournaments and scholarships, we plan to prepare our aspiring and talented gamers for the professional gaming scene, while simultaneously ensuring success in their education and character development outside of the game," High School StarLeague COO Jesse Wang said in a press release. Games included in the tournament are League of Legends, Dota 2 and StarCraft 2. The High School StarLeague 2013-2014 finals take place in June in Southern California, and they'll be broadcast live on Twitch. [Image: High School StarLeague]
Sony Online Entertainment announces the winner of the sixth G.I.R.L. scholarship
Today's students of game design are tomorrow's designers and developers. Esther Wu is proof of that fact, as she's just received a $10,000 scholarship toward tuition and other educational expenses courtesy of Sony Online Entertainment, as well as a 10-week paid internship at SOE's San Diego headquarters. She's the winner of the sixth annual G.I.R.L. (Gamers in Real Life) scholarship, a program designed to help encourage young women to pursue design and development careers in the game industry. Wu, like all competitors, was tasked with submitting concept art for either EverQuest II or PlanetSide 2 along with an essay about the state of women in the game industry. She currently attends the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. Our congratulations go out to Ms. Wu and her fellow applicants, and we hope that all of those involved pursue careers in the industry in the future.
Vatican and Oxford libraries scan ancient works, let scholars stay in their armchairs
Two of the world's most hallowed libraries are about to get even quieter, having been given $3 million to go with the flow and put some of their oldest collections online. The Vatican Library and Oxford University's Bodleian Library will together offer up 1.5 million pages of hoary text, including Gutenberg's Latin Bible from the 15th Century, a 1,200-year-old Hebrew codex called the "Sifra," and enough Greek philosophy to make even Homer seem succinct. At the end of a five-year flatbed scanner marathon, these digital copies will be accessible to speakers of dead languages everywhere, and hopefully for less than sacrilegious prices.
SOE's fifth annual G.I.R.L. competition beckons to future game designers
Ladies and gentlemen, start your essay-writing engines! Sony Online Entertainment is sounding the call for this year's G.I.R.L. Game Design Competition and is now accepting applicants looking to win a $10,000 scholarship and a 10-week internship at SOE. The program, which is in its fifth year, is designed to promote and inspire female involvement in video game development by helping a talented student through undergraduate studies. Applicants have to currently be enrolled in a gaming-related program, have a 3.0 or higher GPA, be a resident of the US, and be 18 years old or older. If you meet all those standards and have a hankering to apply, you'll need to submit two pieces of original concept art "inspired by" PlanetSide 2 or EverQuest II, captions to go with the art, and a 500-word essay about women in the gaming industry. Applications are due by March 29th. SOE Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing Laura Naviaux hopes that this will be the biggest year ever for the scholarship: "Over the last few years, we have been nothing short of impressed with the hundreds of amazing submissions from talented students nationwide. Now in our fifth year, we can't wait to see the creativity that comes out of the G.I.R.L. program."
AP, Google offer $20,000 scholarships to aspiring tech journalists, we go back to school
Love technology? Love journalism? Well, the AP-Google Journalism and Technology Scholarship program might be right up your alley. The initiative, announced earlier this week, will offer $20,000 scholarships to six graduate or undergraduate students working toward a degree in any field that combines journalism, new media and computer science. Geared toward aspiring journalists pursuing projects that "further the ideals of digital journalism," the program also aims to encompass a broad swath of students from diverse ethnic, gender, and geographic backgrounds. Applications for the 2012-2013 school year are now open for students who are currently enrolled as college sophomores or higher, with at least one year of full-time coursework remaining. Hit up the source link below to apply, or head past the break for more information, in the full presser.
SOE awards 2011 G.I.R.L scholarship
Last February we told you about the opportunities to be had via Sony Online Entertainment's Gamers in Real Life scholarship program. The catch was that you had to be a girl -- no surprise given the title acronym -- and on track to graduating from a game-related undergrad program after the spring of 2012. Today SOE has announced the 2011 winner, and Alicia Crawford of La Quinta, California, has been awarded a $10,000 scholarship and a 10-week paid internship at SOE headquarters in sunny San Diego. The G.I.R.L. program is in its fourth year and shows no signs of slowing down. "Supporting the education and careers of young artists drives our ever-evolving industry forward by adding fresh perspectives and new innovative ideas that help shape the future of games as we know them," said SOE VP Laura Naviaux via press release.
British Library and Google Books partner up to digitize 250,000 out-of-copyright works
Oh paper, ye olde guardian of human wisdom, culture, and history, why must you be so fragile and voluminous? Not a question we ask ourselves every day, admittedly, but when you're talking about the British Library's extensive collection of tomes from the 18th and 19th century, those books, pamphlets and periodicals do stack up pretty quickly. Thankfully, Google's book digitization project has come to the rescue of bewildered researchers, with a new partnership with the British Library that will result in the availability of digital copies of works from that period -- spanning the time of the French and Industrial Revolutions, the Crimean War, the invention of the telegraph, and the end of slavery. In total, some 250,000 such items, all of them long out of copyright, will find a home on Google Books and the British Library's website, and Google has even been nice enough to bear the full cost of transforming them into web-accessible gems of knowledge. Jump past the break for the similarly digital press release.
SOE's annual G.I.R.L. scholarship program accepting applications
Are you a real girl? If so, you've probably heard that line once or twice during your MMO travels. This time it might be a welcome advance since it heralds the possibility of landing a scholarship to help with your game development-related education expenses. SOE is ponying up for its fourth annual Gamers in Real Life (G.I.R.L.) scholarship, and this year's lucky winner will nab up to $10,000 for tuition and other expenses as well as a paid internship at one of SOE's dev studios. The entry requirements are pretty basic (namely, you must be enrolled in a gaming-related undergrad program, you can't graduate prior to spring 2012, and you have to comply with the program's official rules). Prospective students should fill out an online application and submit two pieces of concept art as well as an essay for consideration. The deadline is April 6th, 2011, and SOE will announce the winner on May 16th, 2011. Head to the official program website for full details.
Sony Online Entertainment announces winner of G.I.R.L. contest
It's almost taken for granted that game design is still a field that's largely oriented toward a male audience. That's changing over time, and the MMO genre has attracted a huge number of female gamers, but there's still a great deal of room for improvement. That's why Sony Online Entertainment has sponsored the G.I.R.L. program, a $10,000 scholarship for women majoring in creative and applied arts with an ultimate eye toward game design. And the 2010 winner of the scholarship has just been announced: Sylvia Liu, an entertainment design student attending Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. The G.I.R.L. program (the acronym standing for Gamer In Real Life) has been running for three years now, with Liu as one of over 200 applicants in this year's contest. Each participant was tasked with creating original concept art for a new creature and area in either EverQuest II or Free Realms, as well as submitting an essay about women in the video game industry. Our congratulations go out to Ms. Liu for her winning submissions. Those interested can take a look at the official site for G.I.R.L., which has her concept art on display as well as a short interview.
Penny Arcade Scholarship now accepting applications
Wondering what it feels like to be on the receiving end of the benevolence frequently exhibited by the creators of Penny Arcade? If you're a college student with starry-eyed ambitions to change the video game industry for the better, you might be able to bask in the warm light of their generosity by receiving the fourth annual Penny Arcade Scholarship, a $10,000 academic grant set aside for a special student with a GPA over 3.3 and the aforementioned revolutionary aspirations. Applications for the scholarship are currently being accepted and must be sent in by May 30, along with two letters of recommendation, an academic transcript, an essay on how you plan to change the industry and your photograph, which will only be seen publicly if you're the winner, as displayed on the scholarship's page. It's not like the Penny Arcade guys are basing their decision on prettiness or anything. [Via GamePolitics]
Sony Online Entertainment opens annual G.I.R.L. scholarship program
For the third year in a row, applications are being accepted for Sony Online Entertainment's G.I.R.L. Scholarship Program, a program created to help educate and recruit more women into the field of video game production and design. The G.I.R.L. scholarship awards the recipient $10,000 toward tuition at the school where she is currently enrolled, as well as an optional 10-week internship at a Sony Online Entertainment studio. Laura Naviaux of SOE says "Our goal is to continue to encourage and reward women who share our commitment and passion for developing cutting edge online games for all demographic groups." Any student who is currently enrolled in an undergraduate program related to video games may apply by the deadline of February 15th, and SOE will choose a winner on or around May 20th. Information on how to apply can be found here, and more information on the G.I.R.L. program can be found here. Best of luck to all who apply!
SOE accepting applications for G.I.R.L. scholarship
If you're one of the ladies currently in grad school pursuing your dreams of getting into the gaming industry, then this is definitely something you want to know about. Applications are now open for Sony Online Entertainment's 2009 G.I.R.L. scholarships. The one lucky (and talented) entrant will score the ultimate prize; $10,000 for their tuition and expenses for attending college, and may additionally be offered an up-to-10 week paid internship at SOE to work on Free Realms. "There are a significant number of women who are gamers, but not enough working in the video game field," said Torrie Dorrell, Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing for SOE. "With the application process starting today, we're taking a concrete step toward opening the door a little wider for women who want to go into game development."So if games designing is something that really drives your interests and you think you've got what it takes, head over to the official G.I.R.L. scholarship site and check out all the details. Good luck to all who decide to enter! Hopefully we'll get a chance to work with you on one of your future game projects.
Japanese English trainer offers up real scholarship money
This is one of the better promotions we've ever heard about. DS title Moe Sta is a game geared toward the folks that can't speak English, but want to. It teaches, and it's in that spirit that the developers of the title, Mirai Shonen, are going to hook up two lucky students with some education assistance.If you use the title to learn English and pass the Tokyo University entrance exam, they'll hook you up with ¥500,000 (US$4,600) to go towards your education. While that may not be much to most of you, it might as well be a mountain of gold to college students. See also: DS takes Kyoto, education style[Via Kotaku]
