ASU and QS ImpACT launch sustainability challenge for students globally

Jonathan Crowell

June 13, 2024

1,000+ students. 287 teams. 50 universities. 24 countries. One goal: engage learners around game design to effect positive change in their communities.

Arizona State University (ASU) is partnering with QS ImpACT to launch the unique QS ImpACT Skills Challenge for participating students worldwide.

QS ImpACT is a United Nations Environment Assembly-accredited global charity dedicated to empowering youth. The organization is backed by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the world's largest global higher education network that ranks universities for prospective students. The latest QS rankings published in May 2024 with ASU moving up two positions from the previous year to be ranked in the top 20 public US institutions.

QS ImpACT’s mission is dedicated to fostering a global community of young leaders committed to making a difference and providing them with recognition opportunities through international scholarships and awards for their outstanding contributions to their communities, regardless of their backgrounds.

Nunzio Quacquarelli, Founder & President of QS, emphasized that “QS support for the QS ImpACT Charity is all about building 21st century skills in youth around the world through impactful activities in their communities and on university campuses."

Dan Munnerley, executive director at ASU’s Next Lab, serves on QS ImpACT’s board of trustees and helps navigate the partnership between the organization and the university.

“The Skills Challenge is our biggest games-for-good event so far and provides future skills to students from across the globe to raise awareness and drive action around the 17 UN sustainable development goals,” shared Munnerley.

Launching and running the Challenge

A series of training modules by industry experts for the Skills Challenge is underway to engage participants.

On June 6, over 150 learners from across the globe gathered via Discord, an app that allows users to chat in real time with others using text, voice, or video. Participants joined in from as far away as London, Ghana, Kenya, Mumbai and Liberia.

Confidence Mawusi (QS ImpACT) and Olivia Herneddo (ASU) led a one-hour workshop featuring an overview of the Skills Challenge, its goals and the partnership involved. Attendees later broke into breakout rooms to engage in game play together as a way to introduce the concepts involved and provide an opportunity to connect with fellow participants from around the world.

Recognizing the 21st-century skills gap among students, universities are increasingly integrating the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their visions and strategies. QS ImpACT addresses this gap through initiatives like the Skills Challenge, which challenges teams from global universities and communities to design games that educate and empower their local communities on the SDGs.

The Challenge is open to teams of two to five participants aged 18-35 from universities and communities around the world. Participants will learn about the SDGs and game building through workshops led by experts from ASU and the University of Exeter, a leader in the field of sustainable development education. Other expert trainers from Unity and Minecraft will also participate in the training via the Discord platform.

The Skills Challenge outreach initially targeted universities in the global south, particularly Africa and Asia, though participation is coming from a wide range of regions, including the Middle East, Eastern Europe and South America.

Engaging communities on global challenges through game creation

As part of the training segment, experts from the University of Exeter will provide three workshops around the 17 SDGs. Herneddo and ASU will then engage participants in exercises around design thinking and the fundamentals of game design. Participants will be introduced to Minecraft, Roblox and Unity, which are the platforms they will use to design and build their games.

Following the training workshops, teams will be tasked over subsequent weeks with designing games to address specific SDGs within their respective communities. Examples of potential game themes include water shortage, quality education and food security, but could address any of the 17 SDGs.

A group of over 50 expert judges will select and nominate teams to be spotlighted at the Reimagine Education Awards in London (December 2024) and the winner will be announced at QS ImpACT Awards in Nairobi, Kenya (2025). The winning team will be awarded the "Best Student SDG Game" prize.

The Skills Challenge not only offers specialized training in SDG literacy and game design fundamentals from top-ranked universities, but learners also have opportunities to upskill through interdisciplinary collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving and project management efforts.

By partnering with institutions like the University of Exeter and ASU Next Lab, as well as other industry experts, QS ImpACT aims to provide specialized training on SDG literacy, game design support, and design thinking, ensuring that participants of the Skills Challenge have the necessary tools and knowledge to make a meaningful impact throughout the process. Free registration for the Challenge is ongoing through the end of June; the initiative currently has over 280 student teams, coming from 55+ universities in 20+ countries.

Skills Challenge partners include the University of Exeter, the QS Reimagine Education Conference, hyperPad, Unity, Minecraft and J.P. Morgan.

Special thanks to participating ASU Enterprise Technology and ASU Next Lab teams members who volunteered their time and expertise, including:

Dan Munnerley, executive director of Next Lab
Olivia Herneddo, lead experience designer
Amanda Federico, program coordinator
Jesus Franco Yescas, program coordinator
Donovan Harp, studio associate
Dane Cavanaugh Toft, studio associate
Spencer Erickson, studio associate