ASU, Games for Change launch partnership to advance game-based learning
Photo by Laura Segall
Arizona State University and the nonprofit organization Games for Change have entered into a collaborative agreement to advance educational innovation through game-based learning, research and microcredentials.
The partnership brings together one of the nation’s most innovative universities and a leading nonprofit at the intersection of games and social impact.
The initiative centers on a shared commitment to equipping learners of all ages with future-ready skills by leveraging the power of play, creativity and emerging technologies.
Under the agreement, ASU’s Endless Games and Learning Lab in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts will provide participants in Games for Change programs with access to no-cost microcredentials — stackable, skills-based learning achievements designed to recognize emerging competencies in digital literacy, creative coding, media critique and more.
Games for Change will also have access to ASU-developed modular courses, including content co-designed with youth and educators to support inclusive and adaptive learning pathways.
“This partnership recognizes the power of microcredentials in building competency-based learning paths that are flexible, meaningful and future-facing,” said Mark Ollila, founding director of the Endless Games and Learning Lab at ASU. “Our lab focuses on 'make to learn, play to learn and learn to earn' — using games not just as content, but as a mechanism for skills development, exploration and economic opportunity.”
In addition to curriculum integration and credentialing, the partnership will support a range of joint research projects, including the role of AI in learning, the design of healthy game-based ecosystems and the development of workforce-aligned competencies through play.
“This collaboration is an exciting step toward creating new bridges between informal and formal education,” said Susanna Pollack, president of Games for Change. “Together, we are reimagining how games can serve as vehicles for learning, opportunity and social impact.”
The initiative reflects both institutions’ long-term vision to support lifelong learning, creative expression and equitable access to educational opportunity. It will launch with several pilot programs during the 2025–26 academic year.
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