In February 2021, the youth experts at the SEED Institute released The Run Around, a tabletop board game that represents their lived experiences in the cradle-to-prison pipeline. For over a year, the team of young designers gathered (in-person and virtually) to compile research and share their stories, challenges, and triumphs, pouring that into a game that authentically communicated the emotional, mental, and spiritual bondage the juvenile justice system creates. Their goal: To get everyone who plays it to understand what supports were needed before being swept into the system and while they were in it. Since its release, the game has been shared with educators, law enforcement officials, and community stakeholders nationwide, winning a gold medal in the category of Educational Tabletop Games at Serious Games' 2021 Serious Play Awards for the intentionality of its design and the authenticity of its narrative.
