The National Institute of Health is spending over $200,000 to get their point across about clean water. The company is willing to spend approximately $224,999 on a “clean water” video game where children will be able to “right the environmental wrongs” of a fictional video game town. The project received a grant last month from Meadowlark Science and Education a company known for making STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) video games. According to the institute, the target audience of the new video game are 5th and 6th graders who will be able to sharpen their educational levels through the use of the game all while teaching them about the importance of clean water.
The grant the institute received for the video game stressed the importance of a STEM focused video game and the impact it will have on children, “Improving STEM-focused curriculum is a primary objective of the current U.S. administration and is crucial for ensuring that upcoming generations receive the training and skills necessary to compete in the existing global economy. To that end, there is an urgent need for additional effective teaching tools able to reach a generation that requires instant access to information and advanced technology.” The study behind the project is designed to create a computer game with “significant commercial potential that increases awareness of the importance of clean water in human health.”
Meadowlark science and Education recently announced their new upcoming video game known as “Water Follies” where the children will play as Clark Flyer, a meadowlark who works together with a group of lovable animal characters to convince politicians about the importance of environmental issues and how to solve them. The game will include solving puzzles, conducting experiments, and developing hypotheses all in order to convince politicians that clean, lead-free drinking water would be in everyone’s best interest and should be a top priority in the of Holian Falls. Players will also be able to interact with the local townsfolk and be able to learn about their lives and have them help you on your mission to give the town clean drinking water. The institute has also put a disclaimer in the game stating that the content of the game is solely for the game is purely fictional and for educational purposes and does not necessarily represent the official views of the institute. The game “Water Follies” is set to be released for PC later this year, the game may not Call of Duty, Street Fighter, or any of the other games gamers are used to but why not give the game a chance, you just might learn something about clean water, your health, and how having clean water affects the environment. Happy gaming!
Featured Image via Pixabay
