Mtv-U, MTV’s 24-hour college network, and the Kraiser Family Foundation announced a competition that is offering college students the chance to raise awareness of AIDS digitally.
The competition is called “Change the Course of HIV Challenge.” The challenge ask gamers, activists or any student with a great idea to propose a viral, Web-based video game concept to help raise awareness about HIV/AIDS among 15-24 year olds.
The competition follows the success of mtvU’s Emmy award winning “Darfur is Dying,” a student developed viral video game.
The game, which is part of a Sudan campaign, is now played two million times by over one million people, according to mtvU representatives.
The winning individual will work with mtvU and the Kraiser Family Foundation, which will provide $75,000 to the development and marketing of the game.
The Henry J. Kraiser Family Foundation is a non-profit private operating foundation dedicated to providing information and analysis on health issues to policymakers, the media and general public.
MtvU and the Kraiser family are looking for innovative, interactive concepts for video games that will be able to spread rapidly online.
The challenge is open to college students nationwide, and the deadline for submissions is March 16.
Stephen Friedman, general manager of mtvU, said that he is excited about the competition. He said this type of competition is useful in the fight against the epidemic.
“No undergrad in school today has known a world without HIV/AIDS, and a new young person someplace in the world is infected every second,” Friedman said.
“Through this challenge, we hope to inspire college students to use the power of online gaming to engage their peers, reawaken them to magnitude of this deadly virus and effect prevention.”
Tina Hoof, vice president and director, Entertainment Media Partnerships, Kaiser Family Foundation said it is also an education tool for younger people.
“As HIV/AIDS remains the great public health challenge of this generation, it’s essential to find new and creative ways to engage and inform young people about the epidemic,” she said.
For more information about the competition you can log on to mtvU.com.