BNB 1999 Best of Show

Many software games spur kids to use their brains, but this is the first program that teaches kids the science of their brains at the same time. Computer games are uniquely suited for this. Play mirrors content. We designed "Journey into the Brain" not just to teach about the brain, but to find the fun inherent in the subject. For example:

• In each of the first three stages of the game, the game-play itself embodies the way a memory is retrieved, as well as the recent insight that the brain is like an ecological system whose parts are interdependent.
• In the "Fire a Synapse" activity, the player picks off alien "impostor" particles (the kind of substances, such as drugs, that interfere with normal brain function) while helping the brain's own neurotransmitters find their target.

Educational research conducted with this program confirms that playing "Journey into the Brain" increases young children's knowledge and understanding of the brain. It also generates increased interest in neuroscience. We hope that our program will lead to the inclusion of basic neuroscience in more elementary school curricula.

Awards:
Best of Show, 1999 Best of the North Bay Awards
Finalist, 1999 Educational Title of the Year, The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences
Finalist, Time Inc. Health's 1999 International Health & Medical Film Competition, Children's Health category, the FREDDIE
Finalist, the Independent Games Festival, 1999 Computer Game Developers Conference
Editors Choice, All star rating, Children's Software Review.