CREATED WITH AND FOR THE RONALD REAGAN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
SERVICES: GAME DESIGN, LEARNING EXPERIENCE DESIGN (LXD), UX RESEARCH
FUNDERS: NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES (NEH)
COLLABORATORS: AFFORDANCE STUDIO, CUDZU CREATIVE
With funding through the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) CARES Grant program, Follow the Facts was designed by iThrive Games and the masterminds behind the Situation Room Experience at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. The multiplayer, tech-powered simulation game launched in 2020 as one of three simulation games designed to support impactful civic learning in teens. Hosted on the iThrive Sim platform, Follow the Facts asks teens to step into a role as a journalist or news editor tasked with reporting on a breaking story. Seeking the truth, players are thrust into the action as they dig deep to find credible sources and collaborate with their peers to get the story out with accuracy and without bias. In addition to designing the game, iThrive also headed the development of accompanying C3-standards aligned lesson plans and social and emotional learning activities to support a comprehensive and impactful learning experience.
- "It was a fun experience that really puts the news into perspective...There is a lot of misinformation floating around the internet and filtering through and reaching out to the right people really makes a difference." — Teen
- "I learned what reporters should consider before they put out news." — Teen
- "The content on the platform is so engaging that it brings together a group of students with really diverse backgrounds and experiences." — Educator
- iThrive Games, HS Students Learn How to Be Conscious Consumers of Media Through Play
- iThrive Games, Burgeoning Journalists Try on Their Roles in New Media Literacy Game
- iThrive Games, What Embodied Play Ignited in a High School Social Studies Classroom
- iThrive Games, Media Literacy and Responsible Civic Engagement Go Hand-in-Hand
