IVLP Regional Project for the Western Hemisphere (Argentina, Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela) with Cultural Vistas. Panel with WMU eSports Arena, July 1, Panel with Game Designer Adam Strong-Morse July 8.

This virtual project will highlight U.S. leadership in the emerging technology and business of video games, virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR), and educational technologies. Video games are an estimated $150 billion global industry, not including the thousands of foreign students studying game design and playing esports in U.S. universities. The STEAM-related skillsets – coding, designing user experience (UX), big data, artificial intelligence are also crucial to building 21st century technologies and businesses. Meetings, site visits, and workshops will explore the U.S. video game business model; VR/AR applications in diverse industries like medicine and real estate; the development and distribution of educational games; the esports ecosystem; and the career pathways from game design clubs and universities through AAA game publishers. Finally, participants will learn about the “serious games” efforts by independent game developers to address social and civic needs.