Learning the Core Principles of Game Design with Gamestar Mechanic. Gamestar Mechanic is a game and community designed to teach kids the core principles of game design. Created for 7 to 14 year olds, the platform features a powerful suite of game creation tools, enabling players to design original games through an easy-to-use, drag and drop interface. Game design provides an entertaining, exciting and empowering way for kids to learn important skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, creative thought and ideation. The browser-based game taps into the natural passion for youths to play, make and share games. Built on leading pedagogical research in the areas of systems thinking, 21st century digital literacy skills and STEM learning, Gamestar Mechanic devote significant efforts to developing materials, content and professional development programs for teachers who want to learn how to support students, pursuing an interest in game design.
When You Work At A Nonprofit. Special delivery for underserved readers. Bike delivery may be the only way that some of the children, from toddlers to high school juniors, can gain access to books in the summer. Without books, says the program's executive director, Vashti DuBois, many children can slip behind on their reading skills in the long months before school resumes. "I know how important it is for students and kids to have books available to them to read over the summer," said Dasani, who sports a tattoo of seven bells on his left arm - a tribute to one of his favorite series of books, the Old Kingdom by Garth Nix.
Reading, he said, "allows them to stay at their grade level in reading and literacy, or even get ahead of the game when the academic year starts in September. " Dasani typically hauls between 12 and 36 books on each trip, at least two for each of the 79 children enrolled in the program. By himself, it would take Dasani about five hours to complete his rounds. Pairing readers with good reads requires some guesswork. Why Helping Others Makes Us Happy. The following article comes from the U.S. News ebook, How to Live to 100, which is now available for purchase. Helping our fellow man has long been seen as an altruistic behavioral model. But it turns out that more selfish motives—pleasing friends, doing what you want—are more successful causes of effective volunteering. Whatever the motive, volunteering improves the health, happiness, and in some cases, the longevity of volunteers. Children who volunteer are more likely to grow up to be adults who volunteer.
Even unwilling children who are forced to volunteer fare better than kids who don't volunteer. And in a virtuous circle, communities with lots of volunteers are more stable and better places to live, which in turn further boosts volunteerism. [See the Top 10 U.S. "On one hand, it's striking that volunteering even occurs," says Mark Snyder, a psychologist and head of the Center for the Study of the Individual and Society at the University of Minnesota. Three are "self-focused": 1. 2. 10 Facts About Volunteering | United Way of Greater New Haven. 1. In 2012, 64.5 million Americans (26.5% of the population) contributed 7.9 billion hours of volunteer service worth an estimated $175 billion of service. 2. The estimated dollar value of volunteer time in Connecticut is $28 an hour. 3. 4. The volunteer rate of parents with children under age 18 (33.5 percent) remained higher than the population as a whole (26.5 percent) and for persons without children (23.8 percent) - See more at: 5. 6.
The top activities included fundraising or selling items to raise money (25.7%); collecting, preparing, distributing, or serving food (23.8%); engaging in general labor or transportation (19.8%); or tutoring or teaching (17.9%). - See more at: 7. 8. 9. GOOD: Get Your Volunteer On. Volunteering and its Surprising Benefits: Helping Yourself While Helping Others. Benefits of volunteering #1: Volunteering connects you to others One of the better-known benefits of volunteering is the impact on the community.
Unpaid volunteers are often the glue that holds a community together. Volunteering allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place. However, volunteering is a two-way street, and it can benefit you and your family as much as the cause you choose to help. Volunteering helps you make new friends and contacts One of the best ways to make new friends and strengthen existing relationships is to commit to a shared activity together. Volunteering increases your social and relationship skills While some people are naturally outgoing, others are shy and have a hard time meeting new people.
Volunteering as a family While it might be a challenge to coordinate everyone’s schedules, volunteering as a family has many worthwhile benefits. Benefits of volunteering #2: Volunteering is good for your mind and body Consider your goals and interests. The Power of Volunteering. GOOD: Get Your Volunteer On.