SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced that Activate!, an interactive Web site that enables kids to easily design and program video games, has been translated into Mandarin and is being deployed at the not-for-profit Dandelion Middle School in Beijing. Activate! is primarily targeted for children ages 13-15 and is being used via the school’s Intranet. Activate! also contains tutorials for making games, example games for users to play and features a gallery of user-generated games. Four, one-week long workshops to teach kids how to design games using the Activate! game development tool commences today at the school. The workshops will be taught by instructors from Parsons The New School for Design and are estimated to reach about 480 students.

This project represents the first deployment of AMD’s signature initiative, AMD Changing the Game, in China, a critical market for AMD. AMD Changing the Game grew out of AMD’s longstanding commitment to education and its expertise in the gaming industry. It helps improve children’s critical science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills and encourages kids to become more globally conscious citizens by enabling them to develop digital video games with social content. The Dandelion Middle School workshop supports “Taking Root in China, Winning the Future Together,” a strategy that helps ensure AMD China’s business goals align to the goals of the greater IT industry in China.

“This program at the Dandelion Middle School is an important collaboration to teach students valuable technical skills, and may ultimately lead them to become productive future contributors to China’s growing IT economy,” said Karen Guo, senior vice president and president, AMD Greater China.

“Youth game development is an important learning vehicle around the globe, and we are thrilled to be able to translate and broaden the availability of Activate! to students in China,” said Allyson Peerman, President, AMD Foundation. “Activate! is a key tool to expand AMD Changing the Game and we also hope this project signals the beginning of a deeper collaboration with Chinese partners to advance youth game development.”

“Parsons The New School for Design has always prided itself on leading new approaches to education, and the Activate! game design workshop at the Dandelion Middle School is no exception,” said Benjamin Bacon, assistant professor and Director of the BFA Design and Technology program in the School of Art, Media & Technology at Parsons The New School for Design. “With every project, we aim to teach students practical knowledge and inspire their creativity. I’m looking forward to helping do just this for the deserving Dandelion school students.”

As part of this project, AMD also donated 30 Founder systems based on AMD Athlon™ II X3 425 processors to install in a technology lab at the school.

AMD Changing the Game

AMD Changing the Game is designed to take gaming beyond entertainment by inspiring teens to create digital games on important social issues, such as energy or the environment. As a result, they enrich their educational experience by learning critical science, technology, education and math (STEM) and life skills. The initiative is rooted in AMD’s commitment to and experience in supporting education, and the company’s passion and expertise in the graphics processor and gaming industries.

Since its launch in June 2008, AMD Changing the Game has funded 18 programs by organizations that enable youth game development, including:

• Funded the development of a youth game development curriculum with PETLab and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA).
• Funded the development of the World Wide Workshop Foundation’s Globaloria game-design program for the Southwest Key’s East Austin College Prep Academy in 2009 and 2010.
• Co-sponsored the Malaysian Cybergames Festival 2010, including the “Dare to Create” digital game design and development workshop.
• Funded the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers new video game design category for the 2010 and 2011 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
• Funded Schmahl Science Workshop’s program to develop a sustainable fishing video game to communicate “the danger of over fishing to long-term human survival.”
• Co-sponsored the 2008, 2009 and 2010 Games for Change Festival. The 2010 sponsorship includes a day-long workshop the AMD Foundation is sponsoring to teach educators about the various tools available for youth game development.

About the AMD Foundation

The AMD Foundation connects and empowers individuals with knowledge, thereby opening doors to opportunity. The Foundation’s signature program, AMD Changing the Game, supports initiatives designed to help youth harness the power of digital games with social content, while learning critical Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) skills and life skills. The Foundation also funds the AMD Employee Giving Program which supports AMD employees’ community interests by matching their personal donations of time and money to local organizations, schools and disaster relief efforts.

Supporting Resources

• Activate!
• AMD Changing the Game fan page on Facebook
• AMD Changing the Game video

About AMD

Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is an innovative technology company dedicated to collaborating with customers and technology partners to ignite the next generation of computing and graphics solutions at work, home and play. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com

AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.