Village Gamer

No, this news isn’t remotely Canadian, but I feel that educators, studios, associations and our government should take note, because Canada needs a programme just like this one, and I believe the initiatives behind the American STEM Challenge closely mirror those currently being investigated through the Canada 3.0 Forum, Canada’s Digital Economy and Teaching with Technology. There have been several weeks’ worth of talk shows about the state of the Canadian educational system on Vancouver’s talk radio station CKNW, and a programme such as the STEM Challenge is but one creative way of trying to improve what and how our children are taught. There are many, many worthy programmes in Canada dedicated to making education not only fun and relevant, but also to keeping up with technology; here is a way to unite all of these initiatives in ways that would not only benefit our children, but our economic future, and I feel this is worth further investigation.

President Obama announced today the launch of the National STEM Video Game Challenge at a White House event as part of the national “Educate to Innovate” campaign. The Challenge aims to motivate interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning by tapping into students’ natural passion for playing and making video games. The first annual competition is being held by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and E-Line Media in partnership with sponsors AMD Foundation, Entertainment Software Association and Microsoft. Founding outreach partners include the American Library Association, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, The International Game Developers Association and BrainPOP.

“Our success as a nation depends on strengthening America’s role as the world’s engine of discovery and innovation,” said President Obama. “I applaud partners in the National STEM Video Game Challenge for lending their resources, expertise, and their enthusiasm to the task of strengthening America’s leadership in the 21st century by improving education in science, technology, engineering and math.”

The National STEM Video Game Challenge features two competitions:

* The Youth Prize aims to engage middle school students (grades 5 through 8) in STEM learning by challenging them to design original video games. The Challenge will be open to students from any U.S. school with a special emphasis on reaching students in underserved urban and rural communities. The total prize pool will be $50,000. The winners will receive AMD-based laptops, game design books, and other tools to support their skill development. Cash prizes and educational software will also be awarded to the winning students’ sponsoring organization with additional prize money for underserved communities.

* The Developer Prize challenges emerging and experienced game developers to design original games for young children (grades pre-K through 4) that teach key STEM concepts and foster an interest in STEM subject areas. The Challenge will feature a special prize for developers actively enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program in the U.S. Special emphasis will be placed on technologies that have high potential to reach underserved communities, such as games built for basic mobile phones that address urgent educational needs among at-risk youth. Developers will be competing for a grand prize of $50,000. Two prizes of $25,000 each will be awarded to the top entry submitted on the collegiate level, as well as the top entry for reaching underserved communities.

The National STEM Video Game Challenge will accept entries from October 12, 2010 through January 5, 2011. Complete guidelines and details on how to enter are available at www.cooneycenterprizes.org and at www.stemchallenge.org/youthprize.

“Children of all ages are immersed in technology—today’s kids spend as much time with digital media as they do in school. With the need to make learning both more engaging and productive we need some real game changers,” said Michael Levine, executive director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center. “The National STEM Video Game Challenge will encourage entrepreneurs and students to develop bold designs to promote academic excellence. The Cooney Center and E Line Media are delighted that national leaders in policy, practice and philanthropy are investing in video games’ potential to help change the equation.”

”Video games are improving and advancing the way Americans are living, working and playing,” said Michael D. Gallagher, president of the ESA, the trade association that represents U.S. computer and video game publishers. “The acknowledgement and appreciation of President Obama, our partners in this campaign and leading child advocates, is a strong endorsement of the amazing potential and benefit that games can have on children.”

“Video game development is an exceptional learning experience for youth because it’s rooted in something they are already passionate about and allows learning to happen naturally,” said Allyson Peerman, corporate vice president of AMD Public Affairs and president, AMD Foundation. “AMD is proud to participate in the inaugural National STEM Video Game competition. The contest aligns with AMD’s signature education initiative, AMD Changing the Game, a program that encourages teens to learn valuable STEM skills and become more globally conscious citizens by developing games with social content.”

Game-based learning has emerged as one of the most promising areas of innovation in making critical STEM skills more engaging for America’s youth. Research has demonstrated that playing and making video games fosters the development of critical thinking and design skills, problem-solving and builds motivation for pursuing STEM related subjects and careers. The competition responds to major national educational challenges including inadequate skill levels in the workplace and an ever-widening achievement gap between the U.S. and other developed nations, especially in STEM skills.

Vancouver’s 6S Marketing announces the launch of a groundbreaking program, the 6S Strategy Academy, to provide Internet marketing courses for businesses. The program is ideal for marketing professionals, business owners and employers looking to incorporate online marketing strategies into their business for the first time, or improve upon existing online marketing initiatives by training and empowering staff.

6S Strategy Academy is an extension of the vast expertise and resources at 6S (@6S_Marketing) to businesses that would benefit from implementing Internet marketing concepts and strategies in-house. Their commitment to education, demonstrates 6S’s interest in seeing the value of Internet marketing recognized beyond signing and serving clients.

“Our mission at 6S has always been to provide outstanding Internet marketing services while continually focusing on return on investment for clients,” states Chris Breikss, Co-Founder and President at 6S Marketing “We think we have unlocked the key to such return on investment in effectively teaching what we preach through the 6S Marketing Strategy Academy.”

The 6S Strategy Academy offers a series of courses guiding companies through beginner and intermediate concepts and tactics, with an overall aim to assist in the composition of a comprehensive online marketing strategy for the business.

Current courses offered through the 6S Strategy Academy:

001 Online Marketing Strategy Training – This course provides guidance on how to create an online marketing strategy and online marketing plan using industry best practices. Website marketing, permission email marketing and social media marketing are covered.

002 Search Engine Marketing Training – A strategic review of a company’s web site’s search engine placements to identify changes needed to improve ranking on Google, Bing, and Yahoo.

003 Social Media Marketing Training – A course on how to best use current social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Flickr to market a business.

The 6S Strategy Academy is designed for companies looking to bring SEO and Internet marketing tasks in-house or provide employees with better skills in managing and measuring internet marketing efforts.

The courses are eligible for financial assistance through the Workplace Training for Innovation Pilot Program (WTIP) established by the BC Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development. WTIP provides funding to eligible employers with less than 50 staff for the employee training of their choice, delivered by the training provider of their choice.

If you have been considering switching to Unity 3D for game development but are unsure of where or how to start, Ryan Henson Creighton, founder of Untold Entertainment, has written a book just for you. Available now for pre-order, Unity 3D Game Development by Example Beginner’s Guide is due out later this month.

Overview of Unity 3D Game Development by Example Beginner’s Guide:

* Build fun, simple games using the free Unity 3D game engine even if you’ve never coded before
* Learn how to “skin” projects to make totally different games from the same file – more games, less effort!
* Deploy your games to the Internet so that your friends and family can play them
* Packed with ideas, inspiration, and advice for your own game design and development
* Stay engaged with fresh, fun writing that keeps you awake as you learn

What you will learn from this book:

* Find out how people are using the amazing new Unity 3D game engine
* Develop and customize four fun game projects, including a frantic race through hospital hallways with a still-beating human heart and a catch game with a jilted lover that morphs into a space shooter!
* Create both 2D and 3D games using free software and supplied artwork
* Add motion, gravity, collisions, and animation to your game objects using Unity 3D’s built-in systems
* Learn how to use code to control your game objects
* Create particle systems like shattering glass, sparks, and explosions
* Add sound effects to make your games more exciting
* Create static and animated backdrops using multiple cameras
* Build crucial elements you’ll use again and again, like timers, status bars, title screens, win/lose conditions, and buttons to link game screens together
* Deploy your games to the Web to share them with friends, family, and adoring fans
* Discover the difference between game skins and mechanics, to earn more money from your games

PadWorx Digital Media, Inc., an independent developer of a new category of interactive eBooks for tablet PCs, today announced that it is set to debut a series of eBooks on September 15th that combine text, gameplay and interactive touch screen technology to create a new digital book experience completely controlled by the reader. The series of interactive eBooks will be released on Apple®iPadTM in Fall 2010. There will be two debut titles, the first of which is for teens and adults, with the second title being suitable for families.

“With user interaction on almost every page, our books put the power to bring stories to life into the hands of the reader,” said Jeffery Alan Schechter, director and producer of Padworx Digital Media, Inc. “This is not your typical passive eBook experience. Because we develop our eBooks on our own game engine, our readers get engaged not only with the text of the story, but also with the interactive graphics and the gameplay elements. The reader, the graphics and the text form a partnership to create the ultimate reading experience.”

Schechter, a two-time Emmy-nominated writer and producer who is well-known for creating Contour, Mariner Software’s award-winning story development software system, founded PadWorx Digital Media in 2010 with his partner, Tod Baudais, a game programmer and the head of software for a feature animation film studio. PadWorx Digital Media is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of tablet PC capabilities in order to create unique ways for readers of all ages to experience both literature and entertainment.

Desire2Learn Incorporated (Desire2Learn), a leading provider of mission-critical enterprise eLearning solutions, is the recipient of a Best in Category Award for Learning Management based on the results of the 2010 IMS Learning and Education Technology Satisfaction and Trends (LearnSAT) survey.

For the 2010 competition, only 12 awards were made for “Best in Category.” Recipients were honored at the awards ceremony and presentation held earlier this year during the Learning Impact Conference in Long Beach, CA. Jeremy Auger, COO, Desire2Learn was on-hand to receive the award.

“Congratulations is extended to Desire2Learn on receiving this unique and meaningful award,” says Dr. Rob Abel, Chief Executive of IMS Global Learning Consortium. “It is the only award we are aware of where the end-user institutions and school districts can express their satisfaction with the vendors.”

The survey, conducted by the IMS Global Learning Consortium, in cooperation with Campus Technology magazine, is unique, for an open web-based survey, in its qualification process of the respondents and cross-check to eliminate any vendor responses or “ballot box stuffing.”

The LearnSAT report, and underlying research, is conducted to provide level of satisfaction information in the use of technology to support teaching and learning to a new and rapidly evolving marketplace. Through the LearnSAT report, those responsible for implementing and supporting solutions in this new marketplace have additional information to supplement that supplied by vendors as to the level of satisfaction expressed by current clients.

“We are honored to be the recipient of this prestigious award from IMS,” states John Baker, President & CEO, Desire2Learn. “The award provides external verification of our continuous commitment to our mission of focusing on our clients and providing them with outstanding client service and support as they continue to strive to ensure program and service excellence to their learning communities.”

A unique aspect of this research is that it also looks at trends in how these technologies are being used and supported, as well as the technologies themselves. It is based on over two years of research uncovering best practices for success in Internet-Supported learning. The IMS Global Learning Consortium LearnSAT is the learning community’s number one source for satisfaction and trends in the use of technology to support learning. Further information on the survey can be found online.

Desire2Learn was also the first LMS provider to have attained the IMS Basic Learning Tools Interoperability (IMS Basic LTI) standard. LTI is a standard developed by IMS Global Learning Consortium to allow Tool Consumers (Learning Management Systems primarily) to easily link to and pass user / organization / course information to Tool Providers (other online applications for eLearning such as wikis, simulations, protected content, assessment tools, etc.).

Bitstrips Inc. released data today showing that its popular educational comic-making tool, Bitstrips for Schools, is helping close the gender literacy gap by motivating male students to write as much as their female counterparts.

An analysis of over 400,000 students who used Bitstrips for Schools during the 2009-10 school year revealed that boys wrote as many comics on a per-student basis as girls. The analysis compared usage across grades 1-12, and showed that the number of comics made by students of both sexes was virtually identical in each grade. In total, students combined to create over 2 million comics on Bitstrips for Schools in under 10 months, most of them in Ontario, Canada, where the service is available to all of the province’s 5,000 publicly funded schools through a license from the Ministry of Education.

Featuring online tools that let any student create and share comics without having to draw, and a growing library of activities covering English, Math, Science, History and Social Studies, Bitstrips for Schools is striking a chord at a time when comics are becoming recognized as having an important role to play in the classroom. School librarians are adding graphic novels to their bookshelves in growing numbers, and in July, the Canadian Council on Learning published a report detailing the potential of comics in boys’ literacy development.

“More and more, researchers are pointing to comics as a way to engage boys in reading, but you don’t really hear about their potential to boost the other half of the literacy equation – writing,” said Bitstrips CEO, Jacob Blackstock. “The results from our first year in schools show that we’re starting to have a real impact in that respect.”

Bitstrips for Schools has experienced explosive growth since launching last September. In Ontario, over 25,000 teachers have created accounts across 85% of the province’s schools. Many more have subscribed across the rest of Canada, as well as in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the U.S., where the site is a featured partner in the National Writing Project’s Spotlight on Literacy. By the end of June, students were making 15,000 new comics every day.

“The response from the start has been incredible,” said Blackstock. “We hear from teachers almost daily that Bitstrips for Schools is helping students become much more communicative by making the process of writing more visual, interactive and fun.”

“Bitstrips for Schools is a great motivational tool for reluctant writers,” said Lindsay Porter, a Grade 3/4 teacher at Tecumseh Public School in Mississauga, Ontario. “Students who would normally shut down at the thought of a traditional writing assignment end up asking to stay in at recess to work on their comics. Knowing that I have something to help differentiate learning for those students and sustain their interest in a classroom task makes my job a little easier.”

Discussing the impact of Bitstrips for Schools on her seventh grade Language Arts students, teacher Shannon Powell at Central Montcalm Middle School in Michigan said, “Some of my most highly reluctant writers were among the first to accomplish the assignments I gave, and proved that they can write after all. With this program students don’t have to be limited by their drawing talent.”

An end-of-year survey of teachers who use Bitstrips for Schools revealed that 98% find the website easy to use, 97% plan to use it again in the coming school year, and 98% would recommend Bitstrips for Schools to their fellow teachers.

The company recently renewed its license in Ontario for the 2010-11 school year, once again making Bitstrips for Schools available to the province’s 2 million students.

“It’s thrilling to have become a valued part of the literacy toolkit for so many teachers so quickly,” said Blackstock, adding, “We’re really excited to kick off another amazing school year and take things to another level.”

Mayor David Miller and the City of Toronto have proclaimed that September 13-18, 2010 will be MOBILEINNOVATIONWEEK, recognizing the 2nd annual event for the global mobile industry in Toronto. Kicking off the week-long conference is MIW 2010 Hack-A-Thon where local Toronto mobile developers will leverage the City of Toronto’s OpenTO.org Open Data Framework to conceive and create mobile web and apps for social benefit and community services.

“Toronto’s talented mobile developer community is passionate about improving this city,” said Michele Perras, director of the Mobile Experience Innovation Centre (MEIC), co-producer of MOBILEINNOVATIONWEEK, and host for the MIW 2010 Hack-A-Thon.

MIW 2010 Hack-A-Thon will feature two days of presentations, workshops and networking opportunities in addition to “dreaming and building” working sessions. Mobile and web app concepts will be judged by the community and revealed later during the Mobile ThinkTank Series event.

“I’m proud of the City of Toronto’s commitment to the long-term growth of strategic industry sectors like the mobile industry,” said Michael Williams, general manager, Economic Development and Culture, City of Toronto. “Events like Hack-A-Thon and MOBILEINNOVATIONWEEK not only nurture our mobile talent but also help position Toronto as leader, globally. The City is excited about this opportunity to leverage our open data resources as developed through the efforts of our CIO Dave Wallace.”

“Hack-A-Thon will not only showcase our creativity and technical expertise but will result in real solutions that benefit the more than 5-million people that call the GTA home,” adds Jason Silva, founder JBBMobile and curator of the MIW 2010 Hack-A-Thon.

The MIW 2010 Hack-A-Thon will take place from 9:00a.m. – 6:00p.m. on September 11th and 12th at the Ontario College of Art & Design’s auditorium and will be hosted by the Mobile Experience Innovation Centre with Toronto mobile, software developers, designers, marketers, and social media experts as well as with creative and passionate residents dreaming and building mobile and web application to benefit the City of Toronto, its residents, businesses and its services.

“From September 13-18 Toronto will be the centre of the mobile universe,” said Michael J. O’Farrell of The Mobile Institute, founder and co-producer of MOBILEINNOVATIONWEEK. “MIW 2010 Hack-A-Thon is the kick-off event to show what we can do for the greater good once we set our minds – and our world class mobile developer communities to it.”

Rounding out the opening weekend of Mobile Innovation Week will be the IN 2010 kick-off reception, which will take place starting at 6:00pm on Sunday, September 12th, and be hosted in a space featuring an exclusive preview of the START exhibition – an interactive exhibition featuring the work of independent game designers from OCAD University.

Curated by Emma Westecott, Assistant Professor of Games Design for OCAD University, this exhibition will allow guests to experience the best in up-and-coming game design, as well as meet and chat with the designers themselves. Wall-sized projections and personal gameplay stations will make the space come alive, while leaving plenty of room and opportunities for networking with fellow IN 2010 delegates and speakers.

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) is beginning a new round of consultation with the industry this fall as it develops its program guidelines for 2011-2012. Join Valerie Creighton, President and CEO, and Stéphane Cardin, VP of Industry and Public Affairs, for an opportunity to provide your input. With the support of the CMF, this session (and the IN closing keynote) is open to IN 2010 delegates and the industry at large.

If you are not a IN 2010 registered delegate but would like to attend this session please register with the CMF or register for IN 2010 now. The CMF consultations will take place at the Carlu on September 14th from 3:15p.m. until 5:20p.m.

Best Buy Canada is looking to award $200,000 in technology grants to teachers and students who are passionate about technology in the classroom. Starting Monday, September 13, Canada’s fastest growing retailer of consumer electronics will begin accepting entries for its 2010 Best in Class Fund program.

The need for effectively incorporating the latest technology into Canadian schools was highlighted in a 2009 survey of advanced use of ICTs (Integrated Communications Technologies) conducted by the International Telecommunications Union. The survey showed that Canada dropped to 19th place, down ten places from its ninth place standing in 2002, indicating that Canada is losing its competitive edge regarding technology into the classroom.

The Best in Class Fund program was conceived in 2008 to inspire teachers and students to develop compelling educational projects that will advance learning through the integration of technology in the classroom. This type of learning is recognized as key for scholastic success by numerous experts including Dr. David Vogt, Director of Digital Learning at the University of British Columbia’s Educational Technology Department and member of the Best in Class Technology Advisory Board.

“There are numerous studies that show how the effective use of technology by trained teachers can create a superior learning experience for students,” says Dr. Vogt. “What makes Best in Class such a strong program is that it equips schools with cutting edge technology and then brings in experts to help teachers and students understand how they can best integrate this new technology into the classroom.”

In addition to $20,000 for the latest in digital technology, each of the ten winning schools will also receive in-the-classroom support and ongoing online support from Best Buy’s Geek Squad. Experts in technology installation, trouble shooting and functionality, the Geek Squad will offer their expertise to the teachers and students of the winning schools to help them understand how to get as much as possible out of this new technology to maximize the learning experience.

The submissions will be reviewed by the Best in Class Technology Advisory Board comprised of leaders in the areas of technology and education. This year’s advisory board members include: Dr. David Vogt, Director of Digital Learning Projects for the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Education; Dr. Michele Jacobsen, Chair of Educational Studies in Language, Culture & Technology at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Education; as well technology experts and respected journalists Marc Saltzman and Francois Charron.

The Best in Class Fund Program began in 2008 and to-date Best Buy has donated $500,000 in technology grants to schools in Canada. The program is open to teachers and students in grades 7 – 12 in BC, AB, SK, MB, ON and NS, levels 2 – 5 in French-speaking QC schools and grades 8 – 11 in English-speaking QC schools.

Students and teachers are asked to develop their proposals, which must include a video and a written proposal that outline how they would like to integrate various consumer electronic technologies in the classroom and how it will provide an educational benefit, and submit online between Monday, September 13 and Sunday, October 24, 2010. One submission is allowed per school and it can come from a single class, or from a cross section of students and teachers from the same school, such as Student Council or other student clubs.

Staples Canada has opened online registration for their Recycle For Education program, which recycles used ink/toner cartridges, then donates funds back to participating schools.

“We want students to not have to worry about supplies – we realize schools are on tight budgets and can use the help,” says Steve Matyas, president of Staples Canada. The Recycle For Education program is easy; used cartridges can be dropped off into specially marked recycling bins at any of the more than 320 stores in Canada.

Money is donated to elementary and high schools registered with the program and any publicly funded elementary and secondary schools are welcome to sign up.

To be eligible, schools are asked to register with the program between September 1 and December 31, 2010. Funds raised from the previous year will be distributed in May 2011, in the form of a Staples gift card, to participating schools.

Close to 400 conventional and interactive media professionals from film, television, mobile, and games will come together on October 28 and 29 at the newly opened Woodward’s Heritage Complex in Vancouver to explore the rapidly evolving business of cross-media properties at Merging+Media 2010.

Hosted by Merging Media Productions Inc. and the Canadian Media Production Association (formerly CFTPA-BC), this is the first event of its scope and calibre in British Columbia, featuring some of the world’s most noted cross-media experts including Keynote Robert Tercek, former President of Digital Media at The Oprah Winfrey Network. This event will showcase the latest trends and technologies in this space and facilitate valuable funding and partnering opportunities.

“Merging+Media is an important community inspired and supported event,” explains Executive Director Christine Lim-Labossière, “We wish to present a world-class event aimed at creating a greater awareness of the vibrant business of cross-media production, as well as to encourage media producers in the region to take full advantage of newly introduced funding and revenue opportunities. This includes awarding a 10K BC Film Development prize to the Best Pitch at our Masterclass.”

Says Liz Shorten, President, the Canadian Media Production Association, BC Branch (formerly CFTPA-BC), Says Liz Shorten, President, the Canadian Media Production Association, BC Branch (formerly CFTPA-BC), “Merging+Media will be an opportunity for media professionals to come together to explore, discover and debate emerging business models. I am confident this event will have a positive impact on the industry in BC.”

“The launch of Merging+Media is timely with the launch, earlier this year, of the Canada Media Fund, which supports the creation of innovative Canadian content and software applications for current and emerging digital platforms,” said Betsy Chaly, Director of Marketing and Communications, CMF. “The combination of Conference and Masterclass gives producers the opportunity to network, to learn, and to hone their cross-media business plans.”

Merging Media’s illustrious speaker line-up is headlined by former President of Digital Media at The Oprah Winfrey Network, Robert Tercek. Featured speakers include Susan Bonds, President & CEO, 42 Entertainment; Anita Ondine, CEO, Seize the Media; Caitlin Burns, Transmedia Producer, Starlight Runner Entertainment; and Sibley Verbeck, Founder, Electric Sheep Company, to name a few.

Cross-media, also known as transmedia, is the blending of a variety of media forms across multiple media platforms. Statistics show the digital and film industries in BC are growing annually; BC is well positioned to take a lead in the cross-media space.

According to a 2010 report by Canada Pacific Gateway, the official international site for the province of BC, “British Columbia has the third largest film and television industry in North America after Los Angeles and New York” and was recently named as one of Fast Company’s global top five “fast cities” in 2009. The study reported: “Vancouver was seen to have “the right mix of technology and tolerance to attract talent.” BC is also the largest centre of Canada’s $7-billion digital media industry.

The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence; Blake Goldring, Chairman of Canada Company and Chairman and CEO, AGF Management Limited; along with Rear Admiral Andrew Smith, Canadian Forces Chief of Military Personnel; today presented scholarships to eight surviving offspring of fallen Canadian Forces personnel.

The scholarships are provided as a tribute to fallen Canadian Forces personnel by a charitable business group called Canada Company. Each recipient will receive up to $16,000 each – up to $4,000 per year for up to four years – to help defray the costs of their post secondary education.

The third annual awards ceremony was conducted aboard the HMCS Frederiction. The Halifax-based frigate is currently on a five-week Canadian tour, including seven port visits along the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes.

“The HMCS Fredericton is a fitting backdrop to honour these fine students,” said Blake Goldring. “Their parents made a commitment to serve our country and today our commitment is to help them pursue their education. Canada Company provides the means for both businesses and individuals to support our military and their families to ensure they are taken care of with ongoing initiatives like these scholarships.”

“The Government of Canada recognizes and deeply appreciates the ultimate sacrifice these families have paid for their country,” said Minister MacKay. “The Canada Company Scholarship helps the deserving children of our fallen to pursue post-secondary education and start on the road to their future careers.”

“The families of our fallen remain an important part of the Canadian Forces family who need our support,” said Rear Admiral Andrew Smith. “The Canadian Forces greatly appreciate the support that Canada Company and Canadians from coast to coast to coast have shown to the families of our fallen soldiers.”

The 2010/11 recipients of Canada Company’s educational scholarship fund awards are:

* Robert Girouard of Orillia is studying Law and Justice at Laurentian University.
* Kirsten Hess-von Kruedener of Burlington is studying at the RCC Institute of Technology Interior Design.
* Sheralynn Kennedy of Winnipeg is attending the University of Winnipeg working towards a doctorate in Psychology.
* Matthew Mellish of French Lake is attending the University of New Brunswick.
* Myriam Mercier of Quebec City is studying Nursing at Cegep de Sainte-Foy.
* Adam Naismith of Moose Jaw is studying Arts and Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan.
* Jocelyn Ranger of Pembroke is studying business at Algonquin College.
* Natasha Roberge of Hamner is studying English and Music at Laurentian University.

The Canada Company Scholarship Fund provides $4,000 per year, for up to four years, to support the post-secondary education for children who qualify. Children of Canadian Forces members who have died on duty while serving in an active role in a military mission of the Canadian Forces or reserves since January 2002 are eligible to apply. The Canada Company Scholarship Fund will provide scholarship grants to children dating back to January 1, 2002.

Canada Company scholarships have received leadership funding in the amount of $1 million from CIBC. Additional financial support was secured from Power Corporation; Peter Munk, Founder and Chairman of Barrick Gold Corporation; Jim Balsillie, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Research In Motion (RIM); RBH Inc.; The W. Garfield Weston Foundation; The TD Bank Financial Group, BMO Financial Group; Scotiabank; Standard Life; Laurentian Bank of Canada / B2B Trust and AGF Management Limited. Canada Company is calling on other members of the corporate community to contribute to this important initiative.

Canada Company oversees the fund through an independent committee, along with members of the Canadian Forces, to ensure that bereaved children have the opportunity to receive this scholarship.

One way which you can show your support for Canada Company Scholarships is to take part in the upcoming North American Van Lines Tour de Force, an exhilarating cycling trip through southern Ontario and Quebec. The bike/run will kick off at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto with celebrities in attendance including players from the Toronto Maple Leafs and former NHLer’s and will last for seven days ending in beautiful downtown Montreal. The trip will be broken down into seven 85-kilometre intervals. Cyclists can register for the entire trip or certain legs of the journey. At the end of each leg of the trip there will be a celebration in the evening.

_{editor’s note: While this article may not be directly related to Canada’s digital media industry, it is directly related to a game we all play every day: life. As a military family and supporters of our Canadian Forces,  from time to time we carry related stories. We hope that you will join us in supporting those who serve our country now and in the future, and in remembering those whose patrol has ended.}

Stock photography is more popular with designers, businesses, web developers, publishers and artists than ever before, and the number of photographers who have found microstock to be a great source of part- or full-time income has increased steadily in the last few years. A new book, Taking Stock: Make Money in Microstock Creating Photos That Sell by veteran stock photographer Rob Sylvan, provides valuable insights into maximizing profit in this increasingly competitive industry.

An iStockphoto inspector since 2002, Sylvan helps determine which photos qualify to be sold on the most selective microstock site in the business. He has also had tremendous commercial success selling his own stock images privately. Sylvan writes the Under the Loupe column for Photoshop User magazine, and blogs about Adobe Photoshop Lightroom® at Lightroomers.com. In Taking Stock, he shares his hard-earned insider knowledge on how to shoot, edit and keyword photos that sell in this growing high-volume, cost-conscious market.

“I’ve been helping new members get started selling stock for years, and this book contains everything they’d need to know to hit the ground running,” said Sylvan. “Beyond sharing the fundamental information needed for creating and selling stock imagery, I’ve included over 50 great examples of successful stock photos along with tips from many of their creators.”

Taking Stock helps readers look at their photos through the eyes of designers, photo editors, and other frequent buyers. It explains how to set up an effective digital workflow and, perhaps most importantly, how to focus on creating truly evocative imagery. It also covers:

* How to license photos as stock
* What type of images are in demand
* Effective use of titles, descriptions and keywords
* Tips on shooting food, people, places, nature, objects, and animals
* Editing techniques to maximize sales

Taking Stock retails for $35.99 (CAD) and is available at Chapters-Indigo, Amazon.ca, Black Bond Books and other retailers worldwide or directly via the publisher, Peachpit Press.

Congratulations to Big Blue Bubble, whose iPhone/iPad application Thumpies won the award for Mobile Entertainment of the Year at the Mobile Content Awards 2010 in Seoul, Korea.

Facing some stiff competition that included more than 110 companies from 15 countries, Thumpies emerged victorious against semi-finalists Fallen EP-1 from 7th Sense Studios in the United Kingdom and UBC Mobile from UBC in Korea. Present to accept the award and the prize money, Big Blue Bubble CEO, Damir Slogar stated “After receiving nothing but absolutely glowing reviews from the media, Thumpies reached another milestone – formal recognition from industry professionals. This will just fuel our enthusiasm to bring the game to many new platforms.“

Thumpies is a unique rhythm-based music game for players of all ages. By correctly matching the beat of bouncing Thumpies the player progresses through a song. Unlike typical rhythm based games, Thumpies uses a mechanic of bouncing in time instead of just a series of notes. The quirky art design of Thumpies XL is accompanied by a unique musical score composed by award winning, industry veteran David Kerr. The music was crafted with game play in mind, giving the player a harmonizing experience.

Vancouver Film School’s Game Design Expo 2011 is now accepting speaker proposals from game industry professionals who have a passion to share their expertise. Past speakers at the consistently sold-out Industry Speaker Day at Game Design Expo have included the makers of games such as Dead Rising 2, Halo, Mass Effect, ModNation Racers, and Saints Row 2 (amongst many others). The deadline for submissions is October 4th 2010, so download the Speaker Proposal Package (PDF) today and send your completed proposal in as soon as possible.

Telefilm Canada announced today a streamlined approach to submitting corporate information as part of an application.

Previously, four documents were required in order to provide all required corporate information with an application; now only one is required. The new Canadian Status of Corporation and Corporate Information Affidavit (doc file) now online replaces the following forms:

* Corporate secretary’s certificate naming the shareholders and the number of shares held by each
* Corporate secretary’s certificate naming the officers and indicating their signing authority
* Declaration of Corporate Information
* Canadian Status of Corporation Affidavit

Telefilm Canada is committed to providing effective and efficient service to its clients and as such continuously works to provide new ways in which to work with the industry.