"I love Game On! because it gives you a chance to get extra help with your school work while playing games with your friends."

"It was fun and a good chance to hang out with friends and teachers and get work done."

"Very creative and you had something to look forward to once you finished your homework. I hope it gets to come back."

~student participants

Game On! Afterschool Tutoring and Game Club

Northwest School of the Arts, Charlotte, NC;
ImaginOn, Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, Charlotte, NC;
Beatties Ford, Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, Charlotte, NC;

Northwest School of the Arts (NWSA) is a small, comprehensive secondary school with an enrollment of 1,200 serving grades 6-12 ; the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (PLCMC) serves a population of 850,000 in 24 locations.

The goals of this program are to give youth an opportunity once a month to be tutored by their peers if needed or a quiet space to do their homework before gaming commences. Having youth see the library as a space that can be relevant to their needs and a place that embraces 21st century learning is important to the club. Bringing in teachers that game with the students such as from the math or dance department is also intended to help develop healthy adult relationships for the students.

Running the program

For a two hour period, once a month, video, board, and card games are set out for middle schoolers or high schoolers (they rotate months) in the school library. A tutoring or homework session commences when school ends and takes place during the set up of the games.

Teen volunteers, including tutors, help move the furniture and set up the gaming equipment.

The public and school librarian are present during the entire event. A variety of teachers come in as well to engage in play and learning with the students. Different games are brought each month unless specific ones are requested.

Marketing

The student leadership team helps advertise the events through posters or even occasionally spray painting a large boulder in front of the school as it gets closer to the event date. Administration, key club, honor society and volunteering teachers are informed of the event and help pass the information along.

Literacy Connections

Students are able (and often do) browse books in the collection during the Game On! event. There are several games such as Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), Guitar Hero and Rock Band that are frequently played that involve being able to read text and recognize patterns as well as music.

Card and board games such as Pictureka! or Apples to Apples involve visual and textual literacy to learn how to play. Oftentimes we’ll bring in new games and need to discover the rules for the first time by reading the information.

Impact

While the number of teen participants is usually around 15-20 ( 60% female, 40% male), the students see the library as a relevant place that is fun and enjoyable to come to. The mentorship that is part of the tutoring before the Game On! program extends to the gaming when the students help each other or help the adult volunteers and teachers that show up to play with them.

Funding $0.00

None of the equipment used was purchased specifically for this program, the public library brings the games and had previously owned it for systemwide use, from a variety of budgets including as part of a grant. The school library provides the screens and projectors. The approximate costs are reflected below.

Game Materials: $803

• Guitar Hero II (Bundle-game and guitars) $125
• PS2 $130
• DDR (pads and DDR Supernova game) $80
• Wii (1-2) (1 nunchuck and Wiimote controller, Sports disc, and console) $250
• 3 additional nunchucks $18 ea.
• 3 additional remotes $35 ea.
• Apples to Apples $15
• Pictureka free
• Battleship $15
• Blokus $15 T
• Twister $14

• 3 projectors
• 3 screens

Resources

For more information, contact Kelly Czarnecki at kczarnecki@plcmc.org as well as school librarians Carol Buchanan at carolb.buchanan@cms.k12.nc.us and Elizabeth Romanek at elizabeth.romanek@cms.k12.nc.us

Brochure advertising the Game On & Tutoring program