NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On September 3rd, Global Kids' Online Leadership Director Barry Joseph will speak to leaders in digital media and education at the Virtual Worlds Conference and Expo held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Joseph will showcase the launch of Global Kids Second Life Curriculum -- the most significant resource in 2008 for those educators interested in incorporating virtual worlds into their classrooms.
The conference, on the theme of The Future of Media and Communications, will take place on September 3rd and 4th and feature such keynote speakers as Collin J. Parris, Ph.D., Vice President of Digital Convergence at IBM Research; and Steve Parkis, Senior Vice President of Disney Online.
Global Kids Second Life Curriculum, available the first week of September at RezEd.org, contains over 160 lesson plans for teaching the basics of Second Life, whether in a classroom, a library, or at home. The curriculum is available at no cost and is designed to be adaptable by practitioners for a variety of uses, from teaching science, to literature to global studies.
Joseph will also preview the first seasonal report from the 1000-member strong RezEd, Global Kids' new hub that provides a network, curriculum, and resources for educators incorporating virtual worlds into their work. The seasonal report summarizes the cutting edge activities and discussions of educators in the RezEd community, including a range of MacArthur Foundation grantees. This inaugural report will offer a special feature on Ethics and Virtual Worlds shown to the public for the first time by a team from Harvard University's GoodPlay Project. The report will also highlight activities on commercial platforms like Second Life and on educational ones like Quest Atlantis.
In 2006, following extensive research into the educational potential of virtual worlds, Global Kids became the first nonprofit to develop a dedicated space for conducting programming in the virtual world of Teen Second Life (TSL). Within TSL, the organization has established Global Kids Island, which hosts interactive, experiential programs for teens from around the world. Specifically, Global Kids is conducting intensive leadership programming for youth, bringing youth from its New York-based programs into the space, and streaming the audio and video of major events into the world.
Global Kids' work in TSL and RezEd is made possible with funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, as well as from Microsoft, Motorola, and AMD, and is conducted in collaboration with UNICEF, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the International Criminal Court, among others.
About Global Kids, Inc. (www.globalkids.org)
Founded in 1989, and an independent nonprofit since 1993, Global Kids educates and inspires urban youth to become successful students and global and community leaders by engaging them in socially dynamic, content-rich learning experiences. Through its leadership development and academic enrichment programs, Global Kids educates youth about critical international and domestic issues and promotes their engagement in civic life and the democratic process. Through professional development initiatives, Global Kids provides educators with strategies for integrating experiential learning methods, international issues, and service learning into urban classrooms. Over ninety percent of the high school seniors who participate in Global Kids' leadership program graduate from high school.
About the OLP:
Global Kids, Inc. is a nationally recognized leader in using digital media to promote global awareness and youth civic engagement. Global Kids' Online Leadership Program integrates a youth development approach and international and public policy issues into youth media programs that build digital literacy and STEM skills, foster substantive dialogues, develop resources for educators, and promote civic participation.
The Global Kids, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=4850