Programs

Digital Leadership Training

3DSquared’s Digital Leadership Program leverages secondary school students’ interest in video games and social media to deliver real world experiences in Creative IT concepts through the use of modeling, simulation, training, games, and virtual worlds. These experiences prepare students for advancement into two and four year degree programs that feed workforce clusters in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, the arts,

The Digital Leadership Program is offered in multiple forms that include student intensives and after school programs, educator professional development seminars, student/parent career education, an online mentorship program and networking with industry professionals. The core curriculum teams students together to identify, research, and propose solutions to critical social and economic problems using the standards, tools and creative processes found in the game and digital media development industries. Students learn through the integration of three knowledge classes; policy issue expertise, digital citizenry skills, and the tools, standards, and creative processes that used in the video game and digital media development industries.

Driving the Future of Education (2009 / 2010)

3D Squared is conducting a 6 month educational reform initiative under a grant from the Richard Lounsbery Foundation. Additional support for the initiative comes from Manpower, Inc., a Fortune 500 staffing company with operations in 82 countries. 3D Squared is collaborating with Dancing Ink Productions, of New York, and the Cinematic Arts Workshop at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

“Driving the Future of Education” engages teams of Louisiana middle and high school students to collaboratively develop proposals for utilizing technology in education, pursuant to new national educational technology standards. Students will work collaboratively in teams to develop their proposals, which will be published in multiple media – in print, online, and in virtual worlds.

Digital Technologies & Creative Processes Initiative (2008 / 2009)

3D Squared proposed and conducted the Digital Technologies and Creative Processes Initiative under a $750,000 grant from the Louisiana Department of Economic Development. The Initiative included a statewide assessment of Louisiana needs and resources, development of curriculum criteria and standards, pilot programs, stakeholder education, and creation of a digital media laboratory. 3D Squared conducted highly successful seminars and intensives for students, educators, administrators and public officials. One of the key features of the Initiative was two Digital Workforce Intensives in which students from different schools worked in teams to develop virtual world prototypes of games and simulations addressing core social problems. These intensives received significant notice from the policy community and were acclaimed as ‘visionary’, and ‘a template for global social and economic transformation’.

Digital Workforce Training Pilot (2007)

The 3-D Squared video game training pilot was a five day program that taught Louisiana students aged 14 to 20, about the technical and soft skills required for careers in the video game and digital media industries. The program’s curriculum highlighted the importance of using industry standard tools and processes while also connecting students with mentors from industry. This program was funded by a $25,000 grant from the Louisiana Department of Labor.

Online Collaborative Communities:

Learning Community Through the Ning

3D Squared operates an online collaborative community at 3dsquared.ning.com. The community has 175 members from across America. The community consists of industry exerpts and mentors, parents, teachers and students.

Virtual Worlds Showcase Featuring Metaplace.

3D Squared publishes a showcase of student projects on the Metaplace virtual world platform at www.metaplace.com. 3D Squared has been working closely with Metaplace since the Alpha phase to apply the platform to collaborative learning projects. Persons wishing to visit these worlds can register for free at the Metaplace website. 3D Squared worlds can be found by name search: Headquarters, Digital Media Lab, Metaplace Mentors and others. The Metaplace ‘headquarters’ of 3D Squared is also ‘embedded’ in the 3D Squared online community main page, and can be accessed there.