Global non-profit, Games for Change (G4C), today announced the launch of its Game Jam Grant Program, a national initiative awarding $30,000 in total funding to 30 Teacher Ambassadors across the United States. Each educator will receive a $1,000 mini-grant to host a Student Challenge Game Jam, creating hands-on, creative learning experiences in game design for students ages 10–25 through digital and tabletop game design.

The announcement coincides with International Day of Education on January 24th, proclaimed by the United Nations to highlight education’s essential role in peace, sustainable development, and human progress. This year’s global theme — “AI and education: Preserving human agency in a world of automation” — underscores the importance of creativity, and learner-centered education, all of which are central to the Game Jam Grant Program.

“These Game Jams put creativity and human agency at the center of learning,” said Leah Hirsch, Senior Director of Games for Change Learn. “By empowering educators to mentor students through game design, we’re helping young people become socially conscious digital storytellers — building STEAM skills, social-emotional learning, and confidence through play. This work reflects our belief that creativity is a skill that can be taught, practiced, and shared.”

A Nationwide Network of Creative Educators

The inaugural cohort of Teacher Ambassadors represents urban, suburban, and rural communities across the country. Participating middle school and high school educators hail from the following cities and states:

• Austin, TX
• Bradenton, FL
• Brooklyn, NY
• Castle Hayne, NC
• Escondido, CA
• Fitchburg, WI
• Floral Park, NY
• Glastonbury, CT
• Grand Rapids, MI
• Lafayette, CO
• Lompoc, CA
• Los Angeles, CA
• New York, NY
• Oakesdale, WA
• Portage, MI
• Reseda, CA
• San Diego, CA
• Santa Ana, CA
• South Orange, NJ
• Staten Island, NY
• West Hempstead, NY 

Many participating schools serve underserved communities, ensuring the program reaches students who may not otherwise have access to game design, coding, or creative technology opportunities.

From Classroom Game Jams to a Global Stage

Student projects developed through these Game Jams will be eligible for submission to the Games for Change Student Challenge, the organization’s flagship global game design program that invites learners ages 10–25 to create games that address real-world challenges aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Two participating students (or two teams of 2- 4 students) have a chance to win $10k scholarships.

Now in its eleventh year, the Student Challenge has reached more than 70,000 students and nearly 2,000 educators across 600 cities in 91 countries, inspiring the creation of over 6,600 original student-designed games that connect learning to action. Game Jams hosted through the Grant Program serve as an accessible entry point, helping students transform classroom creativity into globally recognized projects with real-world impact.

Running at any time before early March 2026, Game Jams give students time to prototype, refine, and submit their work as part of the 2025–2026 Student Challenge competition.

Educator Spotlight: Game Design for Every Student

For Mashfiq Ahmed, a chemistry teacher at John Dewey High School in Brooklyn, Game Jams have become a powerful way to engage students from diverse backgrounds.

“I have a diverse set of students, many of whom have no prior experience in game design or coding,” said Ahmed, a long-standing Games for Change Teacher Ambassador. “My students are largely children of immigrants, including English Language Learners and neurodivergent students. The Game Jam meets them where they are — whether they’re using Scratch, MakeCode Arcade, Minecraft Education, or creating tabletop games with paper and markers. Every student finds a way to participate, collaborate, and see themselves as a creator.”

Creativity as a Skill, Not a Talent

Designed to be flexible and inclusive, the Game Jam format can be:

• Integrated into a class, club, or multi-day program
• Focused on digital games, tabletop games, or mixed formats
• Hosted in schools, libraries, universities, or community spaces
• Run in tech-rich or low-tech environments

By centering creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving, the Game Jam Grant Program reinforces Games for Change’s mission to help young people see themselves not just as players, but as designers, problem solvers, and changemakers in a rapidly evolving world.

Global educators interested in more information, hosting a Game Jam, or the Games for Change Student Challenge, visit: https://learn.gamesforchange.org/student-challenge