As the use of video games becomes more pervasive--think Angry Birds to Farmville to Wii Fitness--it becomes useful to consider their wider impact on our lives. Are they merely useful for entertainment, or can games help create change through creativity, imagination and play? Can games be valuable for mission-based groups like non-profits, NGOs and community organizations? How can game development connect students to real-world problems?

We’ll kick off the evening with a panel discussion including speakers at the intersection of gaming and game development for education, non-profit enablement and youth outreach. Our panelists will explore how gaming and the creation of games can positively impact our local communities and wider world mission-based efforts. Following audience Q&A, everyone is welcome to continue the discussion over networking, food and soft drinks.

Join us to discuss how creating games and game development can benefit the social good!

What: Meetup and Panel Roundtable
When: Thursday, June 21st 6-9pm
Where: Collective Agency, 322 NW Sixth Ave (between Everett and Flanders)
Who: Game Developers and Designers, Creatives, Educators, Non-Profits, Programmers, Entrepreneurs, Businesses

Please RSVP through Eventbrite http://gaming4good.eventbrite.com/ or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/189704944489416/

Moderator

Erik Wecks, Author of How to Manage Your Money When You Don't Have Any and contributor to GeekDad on Wired.com

Panelists

Keld Bangsberg, Academic Department Director at the Art Institute of Portland including Game Art & Design, Media Arts & Animation, Visual & Game Programming, and Design Visualization.

Chris Brooks, VP of Technology at WebMD and Director at TechStart Education Foundation, which hosts the Oregon Game Project Challenge.

Scott Crabtree, HappyBrainScience. Video game designer, producer, and entrepreneur with over 10 years of professional experience managing the development of video games and has published games on PCs, consoles and the iPhone.

Jason Galbraith, Robotics and Programming Instructor at Sunset High School, Saturday Academy Instructor and coach for the Oregon Game Project Challenge.

Brian Jamison, founder of OpenSourcery, which specializes in Drupal for non-profits and hosts Donor Rally (http://donorrally.com), a free social fundraising game that has helped non-profits raise nearly a million dollars online.

About the Hosts:

PDXTech4Good People and technology creating social good.

Social changemakers and technological forerunners come together at PDXTech4Good events to mix, swap stories, share ideas, build new relationships, and reinforce the online communities of NetSquared and the NTEN 501 Tech Clubs. This group is organized/supported by volunteer efforts and open to all to attend.

Pixel Arts A social entrepreneurship that empowers groups to address social and economic issues through video games. We support innovative collaborations for social good through game development, education, entrepreneurship and community building.