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Game developers brainstorm beneficial, educational ideas

More than fun, games

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PABLO — Using technology to help promote food sustainability on the Flathead Indian Reservation was the goal of the first Tech4Good event, which was held at Salish Kootenai College last weekend.

Jonathon Richter, chair of the media design department at SKC, organized the event with the help of other locals, including the Montana Co-op in Polson.

One of the results of the event was an idea for a card game similar to Pokemon that would provide information about how to grow a plant and eat healthy food and where to access free food, for example.

Children could sell the cards, which could include incentives to shop at local businesses, as a fundraiser for food sources and production.

Getting information out into the community about food could also be done through video and board games.

Kelly Ware, a local massage therapist and regenerative agriculture teacher, spoke to the group Saturday afternoon about game ideas.

Some factors that could be included in a video game include: climate factors, state and federal laws, restoring land for grazing, how to collect rainwater, etc.

Richter was exposed to the idea of using games to pass along information by Beth Lapensee, a Minnesota native who he met while attending a game jam in Portland, Oregon, four years ago. A game jam is an event in which game developers prototype experimental ideas into playable games, he said. These can appeal to all ages and skill levels.

The goal is to integrate real world data into a game platform that will be used in education and food distribution.

Tech4Good involved looking, listening and evaluating a problem and collectively looking for solutions and creating them.

Richter envisions two more game nights over the next year with the ultimate goal of developing food hubs on the reservation.

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