I recently put together a short video for the Activate! China program at the Dandelion School in Beijing. The Parsons The New School for Design and Dandelion School collaboration introduced Dandelion students to the basics of computer literacy and game design. The project led by Parsons faculty and MFA Design and Technology graduate students utilized Activate!, a game design curriculum designed by PETLab, a research group that investigates social issues through the use of games and interactive media.
The Dandelion School is the first and only registered Middle School in the Daxing District of Beijing serving children of poor migrant families. The school was founded in August 2005 by a passionate educator named Zheng Hong who, after obtaining a MA from Harvard University, came back to China on a mission to transform a dilapidated old factory into a viable school serving the underprivileged.
The project began with the creation of the “AMD and Parsons Technology Lab” at Dandelion. The computer lab is an advanced multimedia and technology hub for the students at Dandelion providing computer skill training and digital tools that are not commonly accessible to migrant communities. 30 brand new desktop computers were also donated by AMD Foundation for the lab. There are lots of opportunities to volunteer at the Dandelion School. Make sure to check out their website.