Archive for Education

2017 Mythos Challenge is Starting! Join the Youth Council

Posted by Jeffrey Sens 
· Saturday, January 21st, 2017 
· No Comments

 

Each year, the Council challenges youth to make a game, story, or app inspired by a theme. We are thrilled to announce the Mythos Challenge has been awarded a Pocket of Innovation by the East Metro STEAM Partnership.

The Council invites new youth to join the Council and become community leaders. Youth are in charge, and their vision will inspire many others to enter STEAM career pathways and community led change.

The Mythos Challenge is by youth, for youth; we celebrate youth voice as makers, dreamers, and doers. Please share with youth! Learn more about the Challenge, and apply now for the Council.

PDX Maker Week 2016: Games and Digital Stories

Posted by Jeffrey Sens 
· Thursday, September 15th, 2016 
· No Comments

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Want to create your own games and stories? Join the fun by making art, animation, code, and music. We’ll learn to use neat tools like Scratch, Pixlr, Beepbox, and more. Let’s play together!

Recommended Ages: Grades 5-11. Younger kids should be accompanied by a parent or near-peer who is interested in working with them. Pixel Arts welcomes and support all youth learning needs.

Pixel Arts Game Education encourages self-directed learning, peer-mentoring and collaboration in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.

Equipment: Provided but we cannot guarantee 1 computer per child. Feel free to bring a laptop if you have one. All software runs in a browser.

WHEN: Saturday, September 17, 2016 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM (PDT) – Add to Calendar
WHERE: 1930 SW 4th Ave – 1930 Southwest 4th Avenue EB 102, Portland, OR 97201 – View Map

 

2016 Mythos Challenge for Educators

Posted by Jeffrey Sens 
· Tuesday, February 23rd, 2016 
· No Comments

This year, the Youth Council tasked Pixel Arts Game Education to provide greater support for educators. Our goal is to make it easy for educators to connect their class, school, or learning community with the Mythos Challenge.

At Pixel Arts, we are excited to offer our 1st game kits as well as online educator workshops. We hope you will join us and support youth in the creative exploration of Space and Place.

 

Mythos Challenge 2016: A Unique Youth-Led Storytelling and Game Experience

Youth in grades K-12 are invited to create a digital interactive story, game, or mobile app inspired by the Portland Art Museum’s special exhibition Case Work: Studies in Form, Space &  Construction by Allied Works Architecture.  Finalists creations will be played at the Portland Art Museum and are eligible for monetary awards from the Youth Play Fund.

The Mythos Challenge opens January 15th, 2016. Team Registration, Resources, Copyright Information, and Judging Criteria can be found on the Challenge website (www.mythoshallenge.com).
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Quilted Landscape, 2010. Wood, Prismacolor pencils, plaster and porcelain.
21 in x 28 in x 3 in. Wisconsin Art Preserve. Courtesy of Allied Works Architecture

The Mythos Challenge offers easy ways to bring project based learning into your class or learning community. Materials are age-appropriate and include activities and resources for connecting classrooms to family and community.

How to:

For general information contact Kristin Bayans, Portland Art Museum  Interpretive Media Specialist, kristin.bayans@pam.org.

Free Educator Resources

Game Kit

With the Mythos Challenge Game Kit and Slide Deck, you can facilitate youth brainstorming ideas and support developing their idea for submission. The Kit is licensed under Creative Commons.

 

 

Online Workshops

Between February and April 2016, Pixel Arts Game Education will lead online workshops in facilitating project based learning, creating digital stories with the free and easy-to-use Twine software, and creating games with Scratch.

Twine and Scratch stretch youth awareness of, and engagement with, the world around them and introduces the building blocks of creative design and computational thinking.

RSVP and request a session here (http://bit.ly/1ZMcKrO) or contact Jeffrey Sens, Co-Executive Director of Pixel Arts, jsens at gameeducationpdx.com.

 

Winter Break Camps: Hour of Code & Minecraft

Posted by Jeffrey Sens 
· Tuesday, December 1st, 2015 
· No Comments

You can find all listings for Pixel Arts’ programs with Multnomah County Library here. Please check online–space is limited at certain programs.

Learn and Play during the Hour of Code

Hour of Code is a great way to introduce kids and teens to software programming and critical thinking. In partnership with Multnomah County Library, we have 6 programs in early December. Afterwards, youth can continue learning with Code.org.

  • Monday, December 07, 2015, 4 pm, Gresham Library
  • Tuesday, December 08, 2015, 4 pm, Holgate Library
  • Thursday, December 10, 2015, 4 pm, Gregory Heights Library
  • Thursday, December 10, 2015, 4 pm, Troutdale Library
  • Friday, December 11, 2015, 4 pm, Fairview-Columbia Library
  • Sunday, December 13, 2015, 2 pm, Midland Library

Block by Block with Minecraft

It’s not just a game! It’s a world with infinite possibilities built by you one block at a time. Come and design, create, problem solve and explore the digital world you create yourself using Minecraft.

  • Sunday, December 27 to Wednesday, December 30
  • 3-5 pm
  • Rockwood Library (except Sunday, which runs 3-4:30pm)

Coding for the Whole Family

Learn free online resources to explore computer coding.  Kids can learn to design their own games and play it at home.

  • Sunday, January 17, 2016, 2-3:30 pm, Kenton Library
  • Saturday, January 30, 2016, 2-3:30 pm Coding, Woodstock Library

Pixel Pad

Every 2nd Saturday 1-5pm, join us at Rockwood Library’s maker space to create art, music, stories, and games. Each month, the theme changes and new mentors from Oregon industry.

  • December 12th
  • January 9th
  • February 13th

Join the 2016 Mythos Youth Council!

Posted by Jeffrey Sens 
· Tuesday, September 29th, 2015 
· No Comments

Please share our invitation for youth to become community leaders. Applications are due Friday, October 23.

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The Mythos Challenge inspires Oregon youth to become digital makers and to connect with other youth and broader learning communities. This year we remixed myths from all over the world into digital stories and games, and 2016 will expand this platform for youth voice with workshops, museum collections, and technology.

The Mythos Youth Council splits into committees such as the Parties Committee, which handles all ceremonies and events, and the Awards Committee, which manages submissions and decides awards. We represent youth from many community organizations, and we help to create an open space for youth voice. The youth council is important for youth because it encourages empowerment, responsibility, and teamwork for the greater good of many communities.

Apply now to become a community youth leader of the Mythos Challenge!

–The Mythos Youth Council

Direct Link: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1CZxCahXWMjT5QPW5eyTbdygW03jKm8ddvxRDs7rksuI/viewform

Join Pixel Arts for the Mythos Challenge Opening Celebration!

Posted by Jeffrey Sens 
· Friday, June 19th, 2015 
· No Comments

The Mythos Council is a group of eleven youth from across Multnomah County who are passionate about engaging their generation with both mythology and new media. With help from 8 community partners and 9 community endorsers, they took the lead in organizing a digital storytelling competition with awards and prizes up to $5,000.

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Pixel Arts invite you to come celebrate the youth who entered the challenge and the hard work of all!

  • Play youth-created games.
  • Hear the sounds of your favorite video games through the stylings of a live saxophone quartet.
  • Unleash your inner powers and document the results in our photobooth.*
  • Eat up food and myths from around the world. Meet the other people who made this happen.

*If you already have what it takes to dress up as your inner superhero or supervillain, great. If you don’t, we’ll have people and supplies on hand to help you make it!

Please email mythoschallenge@gmail.com for tickets.

 

Where: Fred and Suzanne Fields ballroom

Portland Art Museum

Mark Building.

1219 Southwest Park Avenue, Portland, OR 97205

When: June 25th, 6-8pm

How: Eventbrite RSVP

 

Email MythosChallenge@gmail.com for a free ticket promotional code, or you can get tickets with a donation.

 

Opening Celebration of the Mythos Celebration

Posted by Jeffrey Sens 
· Friday, June 12th, 2015 
· No Comments

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The Mythos Council is a group of ten youth from across Portland who are passionate about engaging their generation with both mythology and new media. With help from 11 community partners, we took the lead in organizing a digital storytelling competition with awards and prizes up to $5,000. On June 25, we invite you to come celebrate the youth who entered and the hard work of all!

Play youth-created games. Hear the sounds of your favorite video games through the stylings of a live saxophone quartet. Unleash your inner powers and document the results in our photobooth.* Eat up food and myths from around the world. Meet the other people who made this happen.

If you would like to attend, please email the Mythos Youth Council at mythoschallenge@gmail.com.

The event will be held in the Fred and Suzanne Fields ballroom on the ground floor of the Portland Art Museum’s Mark Building.

*If you already have what it takes to dress up as your inner superhero or supervillain, great. If you don’t, we’ll have people and supplies on hand to help you make it!

Learn more about the Mythos Challenge: Bringing Together World Traditions and New Technologies at portlandartmuseum.org/mythoschallenge.

Learn more about the Museum Play event and Youth Game Fund at GameEducationPDX.com.

Sparking Youth Engagement with the Mythos Challenge

Posted by Jeffrey Sens 
· Tuesday, May 12th, 2015 
· No Comments

Youth voice is essential to the future of Oregon and the prosperity of our communities. Eleven youth–the Mythos Youth Council–are leading a new statewide initiative to transform education through community engagement in science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM).

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Since January, they have been planning and designing the Mythos Challenge.  The challenge invites youth to create games, apps, and stories inspired by mythology, oral histories, and world traditions. These youth-made digital creations will be hosted at the Portland Art Museum alongside their Summer exhibition of Gods and Heroes: Masterpieces from the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris. The public is invited to play and vote for their favorite entries, and based on their feedback, the Mythos Youth Council will award more than $5,000 to winners of the Museum Play Challenge. This money is an investment in youth to become Oregon’s future entrepreneurs and leaders in STEAM professions.final 3

What makes the Mythos Challenge so impactful are the vibrant youth voices coming from diverse communities. The challenge is supported by eight community partners: Pixel Arts, Girls, Inc., Girl Scouts, Multnomah County Library, ChickTech, Innovation Academy, Multnomah County Youth Commission, and the Portland Art Museum. Partners are providing learning workshops, online resources, and toolkits to support educators in their classrooms and to engage youth in Oregon’s digital storytelling industries. With their support, the Mythos Challenge is reaching youth who often lack resources, programs, and mentors to support their learning engagement.

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The Mythos Challenge is also supported by a network of STEM leaders that include: The Mozilla Foundation, OregonASK, Portland Youth Builders, SEI (Self Enhancement Inc.), National Center for Women and Information Technology, CSTAO (Computer Science Teachers Association of Oregon), TAO Foundation (Technology Association of Oregon Foundation), Portland Metro Stem Partnership, and Oregon Story Board. With their support, the Mythos Challenge is building bridges across Oregon’s communities to support the health, wellness, and imagination of youth.

We are excited to see what youth will submit. The due date for entries is this Friday, May 15th. Following the entry submission, the Mythos Youth Council will host an opening gala to present the finalists. We hope you will join Pixel Arts in encouraging and supporting youth voice!

 

 

 

How to Create a Game for the Mythos Challenge

Posted by Jeffrey Sens 
· Thursday, March 19th, 2015 
· No Comments

The Mythos Challenge awards a total of $5,000 to games, apps, and digital stories. The Mythos Youth Council selects finalists whose games will be played and voted for during the Portland Art Museum’s upcoming exhibit, “Gods and Heroes.”

The challenge supports both digital and analog games including table top, board, and card games. Check the rules for the challenge. Entries must be submitted here by May 15th.

1. Explore and find mythologies you find most interesting!

2. Attend a Workshop or Watch a Video

3. Choose the Kind of Game You Want to Make

Table Top

With table top games, you don’t need a computer, just paper and items like tokens or chips to represent players. Check out the Design Square activity below to start!

Digital Story

We recommend Twine 2.0, which uses the browser. Our friend Yori has created a tutorial for how to create digital games using this easy visual software.

You can also use Twine 1.4.2, which can be a bit easier for using images. Many tutorials are available.

Video Game

If you are new to game making, we recommend using Scratch, an easy software for visual programming.

If you have experience with programming, you have many free tools to choose from. We recommend Stencyl for also having a great visual programming.

4. Brainstorm Ideas for a Game!

  • Use a Game Prompt developed by the Mythos Youth Council to brainstorm a game idea.
  • Use the Design Squares activity to develop the game.
  • You can save resources by creating a Pintrest board like ours.

designsquares

Mythos Challenge Game Prompts

Posted by Jeffrey Sens 
· Thursday, March 19th, 2015 
· No Comments

The Mythos Youth Council has released game prompts for the Mythos Challenge to create a digital story, game, or app about world traditions. Building on the theme of “Gods and Heroes,” the prompts are age appropriate for 3rd to 12th grades.

We are delighted to share the prompts and support youth made code and games. If you have any questions, please contact us. We’ll share your comments with the youth counsel.

Mythos Challenge Game Prompts

Developed by the Mythos Youth Council

 

Prompts help us brainstorm ideas. Choose 1 that interests you the most. Then, brainstorm ideas or research myths to help develop your game. Find online resources for research and inspiration at the Portland Art Museum Mythos Challenge website!

 

Web Weaving a Tapestry

What connects our mythologies across time? What figures keep reappearing in different places, times, and contexts? What hidden discoveries can your game help uncover and reveal?

Beyond the Myths

What stories are left out of the legends of Gods and Heroes? Are any of the less popular gods or heroes overlooked? How would you tell their tale?

Both, And, Neither

What happens when we mix up the genders and sexes of our gods and heroes? How would the story change if the woman were men and vice versa? What if our gods and heroes didn’t have a gender at all?

Faster Than Light

What story of mythology can lead to a better future? How does that story need to be retold or played?

Science Fantasy

What would happen if our mythologies were science fiction? What strange new worlds would we discover?

Building Blocks

How can old stories inspire new ones? What would you create? What new gods and heroes emerge?

Location Location Location

How much would a story change if it took place somewhere else? What languages and cultures would your gods and heroes be a part of? How could this affect the style of the game?

Brought Down to Size

What would happen if the gods or heroes lost their powers? How would they get them back? Would they even need them?

Role Switch

What if villains became heroes? How would our stories of heroes change?

Simple Pick

What is your favorite mythological story? How would it work as a game?

Point of view

How different would a story be if it followed a different character? Would it be fun to play as them instead?

Collision Vision

What would happen if mythological stories collided? What could you do with the combinations?

A Tail to Tell

What if all the characters were animals? What kinds would they be? What would they do?

Game Night

What would happen if gods, heroes, and maybe even villains, all got together to play a game? What would they play?

Introduce Yourself

How would you fit into a myth? What would you choose to do differently?

 

 

 

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