Social Impact 101 with Electronic Arts: Inspiring the Next Generation Through the Art of Gaming
Welcome to the Social Impact 101 series by EVERFI from Blackbaud, where businesses and their leaders across the UK – and overseas – talk about how their social impact programmes are supporting overall business objectives and making a positive difference to the lives of young people all over the UK, and beyond…
Each edition of Social Impact 101 sees EVERFI from Blackbaud’s Director of Corporate Impact, UK & Europe, Jo Barlow interview leaders of the businesses at the forefront of creating social impact through the power of education, in a quick-fire five-question interview.
In this edition of Social Impact 101, we hear from Jaimie Vargas, Senior Director and Head of Global Social Impact at Electronic Arts (EA). Jaimie shares how EA’s investment into education in schools fits into EA’s wider business strategy and how, through the programme, they are inspiring a new generation of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Maths (STEAM) talent – with a little help from their employees.
JB: Can you tell us about Electronic Art’s social impact strategy and why education is a key component?
JV: At Electronic Arts, our mission is to inspire the world to play. And that’s exactly what we’ve been doing for the past 40 years, building immersive experiences that connect millions of people around the world through our games. We drive social impact by harnessing the power of this creativity, our values, and the talent of our teams of creators and storytellers to inspire the next generation. Working with partners, we use our people, products, and philanthropy to make a positive impact in the communities where we live, work, and play.
We imagine a world where play ignites a passion for STEAM, empowering students to thrive today and be ready for what’s ahead. Using our engaging stories, inspirational characters, and epic worlds we’re bringing STEAM skills to life. Art, technology, game-based learning – we’re bridging opportunity gaps in STEAM education and making high-impact experiences accessible to everyone, everywhere.
JB: Can you explain the benefits of creating social impact through education – for pupils and businesses?
JV: EA is always on the lookout for new talent who can build the worlds and characters that speak to different communities. We have a responsibility to offer all learners–especially those who are
underserved and underrepresented–equitable opportunities and pathways to success. By investing in high-quality STEAM education experiences, we are helping to ensure that students have the skills and knowledge to contribute to their communities and reach their full potential.
JB: What has been the focus of your partnership with EVERFI from Blackbaud?
JV: We really value our partnership with EVERFI from Blackbaud because we get to show students first-hand how play is a force for good and engage young people who might not otherwise consider STEAM careers. Addressing inequities in education requires this type of collaboration and a thoughtful approach to eliminate barriers to access and increase success for students.
We co-created the ‘Play to Learn’ Game Design Module, utilising EVERFI’s Endevour course, to spark students’ creativity and curiosity, and show how STEAM learning translates to careers, like roles on game design teams in the industry. Students get to explore a number of topics, like binary numbers, scientific notation, the Pythagorean Theorem, probability, and basic coding language. The course modules are designed to reinforce real-world application of these skills, asking students to problem solve, apply and use tools, and work as a team to make decisions and transform their ideas.
Our employees are keen to volunteer in classroom visits and speak on career panels to share about their background, a day-in-the-life experience, and how to create a video game to link the application of STEAM back to ‘Play to Learn.’
I’m really proud of the fact that since we first began working with EVERFI from Blackbaud in 2016, we’ve reached 78,500+ students in 680+ schools throughout Canada, United States and United Kingdom. More than half of the young people were from underserved communities, while we saw a marked increase in UK students’ assessment scores about foundational STEAM skills. Finally, seven out of every ten students said that ‘Play to Learn’ increased their interest in STEAM careers – that’s really important to us.
JB: Can you explain the benefits STEAM learning can have on society, now and in the future?
JV: Education is vital to bridging social disparities and helping create a more equitable society. We believe play is a universal instinct, bringing people together with shared experiences. At EA we are committed to inspiring creativity, and our investments and partnerships in STEAM education are at the heart of our impact strategy to drive positive change for the community. STEAM learning helps prepare students for an ever-changing and complex workforce, equipping them with transferable skills that will allow them to move into just about any industry.
Find out more about how you can create social impact using the power of education here.