Washington, D.C., July 22, 2020 - The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is launching the  PLAY challenge  to identify the most innovative global solutions in the education sector and the Creative Economy, such as videogames, platforms and digital products that use gamification for the development, measurement or certification of cognitive, socio-emotional or executive functioning skills.

“We need to better understand learning mechanisms and how people develop 21st century skills, how they are measured and the effects that they have in the short-, medium- and long-term. The PLAY challenge will recognize educational videogame solutions, platforms and digital products that use gamification to develop, measure or certify these skills,” explains Education Division Lead Specialist Mercedes Mateo-Berganza.

Proposals must be submitted by Friday, September 11, 2020 and must meet the following application requirements. The IDB will assess the applicants’ capacity to implement the innovative models proposed, as well as their effectiveness and viability .

Approximately 15 semi-finalists will be selected to participate in the final event or Pitch Competition, which will be transmitted online. A panel of IDB judges will select the winner. The short-listed solutions will be considered within the context of the 21st Century Skills project , and may be implemented in the region. The winning team will receive US$10,000 to accelerate their solution and impact on the education sector.

For more information on the timeline, evaluation criteria and selection process, click here.

This initiative, which is being led by the Education and Innovation and Creativity teams, is part of the21st Century Skills Initiative led by the IDB, which responds to the new challenges that students are facing as they are molded by an extremely dynamic environment with a changing labor market and increasingly diverse societies.