Local Middle School Students win $5,000 Game Creator Scholarship–to be presented on June 3rd at Eckstein Middle School

SEATTLE, May 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — What began as a simple card game between elementary school friends will culminate on June 3rd with four local students winning a national math game making competition worth $5,000.

Alex Wallace, Daniel and Elias Impert, and Ira Shamay will each be presented with their share of the prize on June 3rd at their school, Eckstein Middle School. Presenting their award is Jim Moran of Arlington, Virginia, CEO and Founder of Semper Smart Games, and sponsor of the scholarship.

“These kids made a great game,” said Moran, who launched the two-year long competition that challenged students from around the country to make an original card game with the cards from Semper Smart’s Game, Blobby’s Pizza—a fractions-based game that also teaches principals of decimals and percentages and has a pizza-eating monster and restaurant theme. 

Judged by a panel of educators and game makers, the Laurelhurst cohort of students developed a game variant called “Sell Those Pizzas,” which took the top prize. 

Introduced to the Blobby’s Pizza game competition by Melissa Morrell, a volunteer math tutor at Laurelhurst Elementary, the students took the task of making a new game from the cards almost immediately after playing. 

“The boys were immediately excited by the prospect of making up a new game. I followed their lead and used it as a teaching opportunity to learn about game development, including observing, silently, while another group played their game. It was fun to watch as they iterated on their rules until they got them to be just right,” said Morrell.

The students will receive their scholarship checks on the morning of June 3rd at a ceremony at Eckstein Middle School. To attend the event please contact the Middle School: 206-252-5010.

Understanding that play is the mind’s favorite way of learning, Semper Smart Games™ has a mission of creating uniquely fun and educational games that teach invaluable skills and knowledge. An award-winning game company based in Arlington, Virginia, Semper Smart Games creates games that you can play at home, in the classroom, or almost anywhere you can find a small playing surface. We are committed to giving today’s families meaningful tactile gaming options that are not screen based.

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SOURCE Semper Smart Games