This year, the Climate Center partnered with the Evergreen Game-Design Collective to bring students, educators, and community members together through a wide range of game-related events focused on creativity, learning, and training for real-world impact.
In addition to presenting for a second year at the Legislative Gaming Night, students also attended the first Washington Tabletop Game Alliance (TGA) Summit, where they showcased their original tabletop games and art to professional designers, publishers, distributors, and other industry leaders from across the state. The event provided valuable networking opportunities and a chance for students to think about their designs in conversation with the broader game-development community. Evergreen faculty and staff coordinated and led a panel on Games in Education and Non-Profits there, and again on campus as part of the Climate Lecture Series: The Power and Roles of Games in Education and Climate Curriculum.
The Collective also hosted a Climate & Justice Game Jam in partnership with the Campus Sustainability Office (previously CCAS), introducing participants to published games that explore interdisciplinary environmental, social, and educational themes. Community members of all ages had the opportunity to play games focused on climate literacy, cooperation, systems thinking, and civic engagement, followed by a workshop on the fundamentals of designing games for learning and social change.
Throughout the year, weekly play-testing sessions provided students with opportunities to refine their own game projects, practice giving and receiving constructive feedback, and develop skills in collaborative design. Members also gained experience facilitating games for high school youth, learning how to guide engaging and inclusive play experiences while building leadership and communication skills.
Beyond campus, Sarah “Sam” Saltiel and Michael Joseph volunteered for the Office of Admissions in King County, sharing Evergreen’s interdisciplinary curriculum and game-design programs with prospective students and their families. These demonstrations highlighted how Evergreen students connect classroom learning with real-world experience through project-based work, community partnerships, and the opportunities supported by the Public Service Centers.
The Collective expanded into media production this year, launching a pilot season of a new game-design video podcast “Roll for Change”. Created with support from Evergreen alumnus Ross Cowman—game designer and owner of Deernicorn—and hosted with assistance from Mystic Game Shop in downtown Olympia, the podcast features conversations about game design, education, creativity, and community. Initial episodes are already available on YouTube and podcast streaming platforms, with additional pilot episodes and condensed versions scheduled for later release throughout the summer.
We hope this year highlights the Collective’s mission of using games as tools for creativity, education, community-building, and experiential learning while supporting the next generation of designers, facilitators, and storytellers at Evergreen!
