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Level Up Report
May 18, 2018
The Infosys CrossRoads conference takes place this week in the San Francisco Bay area... hope to see some of you there!
Did you know that the annual Games for Change Festival is coming up June 28-30 in New York City? There will be keynotes from Mimi Ito, Katie Salen and Zoran Popovic, and presentations and panels from the makers of Mission US, DragonBox, BrainPop, Pokemon Go - so many great people. Come learn and share! If you register soon, you can use our 20% discount code: LevelUp18
Thanks to Michelle Miller and Russell Shilling for contributions to this week's news! Send us YOUR news at news@levelup.org.
News
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are collaborating to explore ways to transform education through accelerated research and development, in a DARPA-style effort using interdisciplinary teams. For this initiative, the two organizations are seeking responses on how to improve writing, improve mathematical understanding, and measure and improve executive function. First responses to the RFI are due June 8.
 LEGO is launching the Powered Up Platform, a new series of motorized, programmable, smartphone-compatible LEGO kits. After building a Powered Up kit from LEGO bricks and motors, you'll be able to control it wirelessly from your smartphone. The Batmobile kit will launch August 1 for $99.
Results from the 47th annual CRA Taulbee Survey are in! The survey highlights trends in U.S. computer science student enrollment, degrees awarded, and employment of graduates. Once again this year it shows a marked increase in undergraduate student enrollment and degrees. Yay!
The Boys & Girls Clubs of America have partnered with tech company Lenovo to host a nationwide series of hackathons in order to promote STEM skills. Hackathon attendees will break into teams, build a prototype, and pitch their prototype to a panel of judges. Sounds like fun!
A group of more than 20 Afghan women in Herat have been learning to code and launching apps and games as part of a project called Code to Inspire. One of the games, Fight Against Opium, illustrates the complexities of the drug problem and the challenges Afghan soldiers face in trying to destroy opium fields, fight drug lords, and help farmers switch to growing saffron.
 Readers of this newsletter know that I can't help myself when it comes to new toothbrush apps. Kitten Planet, a company spinning out from the Samsung incubator, is kickstarting Brush Monster, a $49 toothbrush with an AR magic mirror on your smartphone. The app uses motion analysis to give you feedback on whether you're brushing enough in each area of your mouth. Yup.
Perhaps inspired by Nintendo Labo, Amazon has begun shipping cardboard construction projects on some of its packaging material! If you find a SmileCode (looks kind of like a QR code) on a box that you receive, scan it with your phone and see what you find!
ESports is slowly finding its way into high school programs, both as after-school clubs and incorporated into in-school curriculum. Learn more from several eSports teams around the country in this interesting Engadget piece.
Politico asserts that gaming is breaking out in Washington DC. Sounds great to me! As game playing becomes increasingly mainstream, and as younger representatives come on staff on Capitol Hill and in federal agencies, of course game playing will increase! My experience was that people under a certain age were much, much more likely to understand video games and how they could be used for broader impact. Of course, a big part of this growth in DC is doubtless also that the Entertainment Software Association is there and doing a great job talking about the value of video games!
 Cognimates is a platform based on Scratch that provides tools and activities for children to learn about AI. Some activities include building games, or training AI models, while others involve interacting with intelligent agents. Learn more in this interesting article from MIT Media Lab's Stefania Druga. Video.
Lastly, one of the big concerns about project-based learning has always been how teachers can effectively teach everything a student needs to know to pass the standardized tests. Allowing students to explore projects relevant to their own lives may mean they are much more engaged, but are they learning everything they need to? In this detailed piece, The Hechinger Report talks to a number of teachers and schools to learn about how they approach this challenge. A very useful article for those interested in project-based learning.
Play
 Bury me, my Love (iOS, Android) – Follow the story of Syrian refugee Nour as she undertakes a perilous journey to safety. This game is remarkable not just for the topic, but that as her husband Majd, you can only communicate with her via a smartphone. What will you do if she encounters trouble? Video.
HoweyCoins (Web) – Have you been thinking about investing into an Initial Coin Offering (ICO)? Well does the SEC have a deal for you! Check out this site for an investment opportunity you don't want to miss! Or... wait... hang on... maybe you should check out this press release first. Well played, Securities and Exchange Commission!
Amazon Sumerian (Web) – Amazon has launched a cloud-based tool to help you quickly create AR and VR experiences. It seems a little challenging to get into, given that you need to sign up for an Amazon Web Services account, but the results look impressive. Check out this PCMag video.
Watch
 Jimmy Fallon, Ariana Grande, The Roots, and some Nintendo Labos – In this epic moment from The Tonight Show, Ariana Grande sings No Tears Left to Cry accompanied by Jimmy Fallon and The Roots all playing on Nintendo Labos!
Karlie Kloss, Gaming: Trailblazers of STEAM – Kode with Klossy partnered with Ford STEAM Experience to create a great series of videos highlighting STEAM-related occupations in mobility, space, food, and gaming. Of course, this is the gaming one. :) You'll find links to the rest in the video description!
Ladyada's Advice for Young Makers – Allie Weber (@robotmakergirl) visited Adafruit late last year to interview Limor Fried about how she knew that she wanted to be an engineer, and how she started Adafruit.
USC Games Expo May 2018 – I've missed the USC Games Expo over and over, and keep wondering what it's like. Wait, you too? Well wonder no longer! Here's some great B-roll that will show you the scale and scope of USC's annual showcase, which this year highlighted over 80 games.
Story Time From Space: Rosie Revere, Engineer – Did you know there's a YouTube channel with NASA Astronauts reading kids' stories from space? In this episode, Astronaut Kate Rubins reads Rosie Revere, Engineer, from the International Space Station.
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