Around the Institute

Games for Social Change

June 6, 2014

Pastries and Good Conversation. What’s Not to Like? Join us on June 9th.

Last call for registrations, folks! Melissa Kearney of the Brookings Institution will be stopping by on Monday, June 9th, at 8:15AM to discuss her impact assessment of MTV’s reality show 16 and Pregnant. We’ll get to talk methodology, findings, and – yes – the guilty pleasures of reality TV. And if you’re skeptical about the influence of media, just check out the Colbert Report: you’re sure to learn a thing or two, starting with campaign finance.

New APEP Associate Director

This week, our small but mighty team is welcoming media maven Susanna Dilliplane as our new Associate Director. Coming to us by way of the University of Pennsylvania (the fightin’ Quakers!), Susanna brings to APEP extensive experience in communications research, evaluation, and qualitative and quantitative methods. She’ll be on hand at our Advocacy Evaluation Breakfast on June 9th – even more reason to come and say hello!

More than Entertainment

The Schusterman Philanthropic Network is eager to get people talking about the value of a particular kind of digital game – those created to support a social cause. And they’ve put together a terrific panel of experts to discuss the role games may play in various social change efforts. Make sure to sign up for this webinar here. But first check out these pieces on the “civic potential” of video games and the evaluation of a Half the Sky mobile game. Yep, there’s more to games than pretty colors all around.