Real-world advice to create an inclusive and safe gaming space where shy, marginalized kids feel comfortable putting themselves out there and create a world where they see themselves represented.
Description:
What do youth expect in an age of D&D Tik Toks, Critical-Role discourse, and actual-play podcasts? How can you create an inclusive space where shy, marginalized kids feel comfortable putting themselves out there? And where do you fit in as a game master and the adult supervision? This session will share insights from years playing games with youth 10-24, working at youth-facing restorative-justice and LGBTQ-resource organizations, and, of course, playing tabletop roleplaying games of all kinds.
Building safer spaces for women improves a community for everyone involved. Explore physical, cultural, and atmospheric ways to make your spaces more welcoming to all.
Small Business Development Centers or University Affiliation: Both Can Help You
Summary:
Learn about tools to find market, consumer, and competitor insights. Uncover free consulting services in your area to launch, manage, or boost your business, trademark, or idea plus terms of use.
Dive into game design for education! This workshop is for teachers and educators eager to create fun, engaging games for their classrooms. Learn, play, and innovate in a hands-on session.
Description:
In this workshop, a goofy kid who accidentally became an even goofier adult will walk you through an overview of the process of creating educational game experiences, from dreaming up your game's big idea to figuring out the nitty-gritty details that make a game truly engaging. You'll get to play around with game mechanics and learn how to weave educational content into your games, making learning an adventure that students look forward to. You'll leave with a bunch of cool ideas and the know-how to turn those ideas into real games for your classroom or any educational setting. Whether you're looking to shake up your teaching routine or just add a dash of fun to your educational toolkit, this workshop is your ticket to a world where learning and play go hand in hand. So, let's make some games that will have everyone learning and laughing!
D&D is huge right now, so starting a gaming club should be a no-brainer, right? But, is it sustainable? What are the challenges you might face?
Description:
D&D is huge right now, so starting a gaming club should be a no-brainer, right? But, is it sustainable? What are the challenges you might face? Tips and tricks for not only starting but maintaining and growing a game club at a school or library. This will be as much a discussion as a presentation, let's learn from one another, and discuss how we can work to enable and empower others to become passionate gamers. We might even roll some dice for fun!
Starting A Gaming & RPG Club At School & The Integration Of Art & Gaming In The Classroom
Summary:
We are a independent study charter school. We would like to share the steps that we have taken to start a gaming and RPG club, and highlight how we have integrated art and gaming in our classes.
Description:
This discussion will be lead by a teacher who has worked to start a gaming club at a school based upon information that was received Gen Con 2023, and has worked to integrate art and gaming into the classroom. It will be co-presented by the school principal, focusing on some of the administrative issues that we dealt with.
Starting a University Gaming Convention and improving Mental Health in College Gamers
Summary:
We will discuss best practices and pitfalls to avoid, how to secure vendors and the impact of building a gaming community on college student's mental health and student success.
Description:
We recently hosted out first Gaming Convention, attracting 214 attendees as a free event for students, faculty, staff, and community members and families. The impact on students' sense of belonging, and awareness building of others around them who share similar interests is important will be discussed. Additionally, we will discuss timelines, budgets, the impact of free badges, project management, organizing student leadership, collaborating across multiple student organizations, working with the local k-12 school systems, local game stores and more to make an event successful! We will discuss the importance of after school gaming programs, extracurricular club events at the collegiate level, gaming with the elderly and share the benefits to mental health for college students who may be away from home for the first time, and who are trying to find a sense of belonging at a university.
Please join returning BlueGrace executive Tony Seay as we talk through diversifying your supply chain. From understanding LTL (Less than truckload) to TMS platforms and Drayage.
Description:
This is a continuation of last year's analytics. Bring all of your questions!
TTRPGs In Education: Cultivating Creativity & Critical Thinking In The Classroom
Summary:
Join two Kentucky educators who will share how playing TTRPGs can be a part of K-12 lesson and unit plans. We want to bring tabletop RPGs from the margins toward the mainstream of learning!
Description:
Can TTRPGs teach academic content, improve SEL, and put durable skills into practice? The answer is YES! Join educator Adam Watson (founder of Kentucky Educators for Role Playing Games) and current classroom teacher Justin Gadd as we share examples of actual implementation in schools as well as research to convince skeptics. Our session will start with an overview of how kyedrpg.com began, and preview its resources of research, tools, and teacher materials. We will share several examples from the Bluegrass and beyond of K-12 teachers who have implemented aspects of TTRPGs in their schools and classrooms. Justin will tell his own instructional story, from running a virtual afterschool D&D club during the pandemic to having students play TTRPGs as part of his middle school social studies class.