FableVision’s Summer 2022 Roadmap

If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? The beginning of conference season! From museum meetings to gamer gatherings, FableVision is attending a variety of conferences to share our work, meet new people, and learn from other professionals in the industry. 

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American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting and MuseumExpo

FableVision is heading across town to the American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting and MuseumExpo! This year’s conference focuses on four themes –  Museums in Society, Organizational Culture, Innovation, and Financial Wellness. Keep an eye out for FableVision’s Kellian Adams Pletcher, Director of G.L.A.M. Innovation.

When: Thursday, May 19 - Saturday, May 22
Where: Boston, MA

Join FableVision and Kellian the night before for a few drinks and bites to socialize, while enjoying the Boston skyline!

What: FableVision’s AAM Reception
Where: FableVision Studios, 353 Newbury St., Fl. 2
When: Wednesday, May 18, 5:30-7:30 p.m. 
RSVP: Required with proof of vaccination

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Serious Play Conference

FableVision is joining some serious fun at this year’s Serious Play Conference to discuss case studies, explore game-based learning topics, and connect with other thought leaders in the educational game-play industry. From active workshops to tracking the evolution of serious gaming, this conference provides opportunities to learn, collaborate, and plan for a productive future for the game-based learning community. 

When: Monday, June 13 - Friday, June 17
Where: Orlando, FL

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Games For Change

Catch Gary Goldberger, Kellian Adams Pletcher, and Anne Richards at this year’s Games For Change Festival (G4C). The annual conference festival allows educators, developers, and game changers to connect and discuss the impacts of video games and immersive media. 

Vice President of FableVision’s audio division, audiyo-yo, and creator of the award-winning preschool podcast Quentin & Alfie’s ABC Adventures, Anne is sharing her expertise on designing audio experiences that meet the needs of families and educators virtually on Friday, July 15 at 10 a.m. ET. 

When: Wednesday, July 13 - Saturday, July 16
Where: New York City

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Kidscreen 

Gary Goldberger, Tone Thyne, and Anne Richards are in for a weekend of creativity, networking, and media dialogue at the annual Kidscreen Summit (KSS)! Kidscreen focuses on the kids entertainment industry and caters to decision makers and executives throughout the field. The July summit provides an opportunity to connect with other producers, creatives, distributors, and industry leaders, while also getting the chance to forge new connections. 

When: Monday, July 18 - Thursday, July 21
Where: Miami, FL

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Connected Learning Summit 

The 2022 virtual Connected Learning Summit brings innovators together to harness the power of emerging technology for expanding access to participatory, playful, and creative learning. Join Sarah Ditkoff, Gary Goldberger, and other speakers on Friday, July 29 at 1:30 p.m. ET for a roundtable presentation on "The Lifecycle of Partnerships in Games for Learning." Register here to access the full event.

When: Wednesday, July 27 - Friday, July 29
Where: Virtual - Whova event platform

August FableFriday: Kellian Adams Pletcher, Director of G.L.A.M. (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums) Innovation

Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums—this is Kellian Adams Pletcher’s world of G.L.A.M. and we’re all just living in it. With her large, bright smile and signature enthusiasm for immersive learning experiences, Kellian recently joined the FableVision team as the Director of G.L.A.M. Innovation. The studio has a long history of working with informal learning spaces, including museums, and Kellian’s background in imaginative, game-based work will help FableVision grow its partnerships with the G.L.A.M. community through the merging of physical and digital worlds when engaging the public.

“I’ve worked with museums across the country and across the world, and I absolutely love it,” says Kellian. “I’ve also always loved FableVision—I’m impressed by the projects, games, and everything the company builds. I’m excited for my new role and to build museum games for a large studio with an incredible team.”

Through her work at Active Chinese, SCVNGR, and Green Door Labs, Kellian joins FableVision with 12 years of experience in crafting immersive experiences through creative and strategic game design. As the mastermind behind Green Door Labs, a company that builds site-specific games and adventures, Kellian has created custom mobile games, cultural institution games, and interactive theater experiences, for clients like The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Smithsonian, The National Parks Service, The USS Constitution Museum, and many more. 

Kellian’s passion, creativity, and extensive experience makes for the perfect new FableVisionary. Read more to learn about Kellian’s G.L.A.M. journey, theater projects, museum knowledge, and love of swing dancing!

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What is your journey to FableVision story?
I’ve run into FableVision’s team and work a lot in the last ten years at Green Door Labs and I always had so much fun with them. I told myself that if I wasn’t at Green Door Labs, the only other company I’d really want to work with was FableVision. As an independent studio owner, I have to say I was pretty burnt out after the pandemic, and I considered entirely shifting directions. Luckily, I caught up with Gary Goldberger, and he told me I could do what I do, but with the support and energy of a larger team with FableVision! It had honestly never occurred to me that I could continue building museum games, such a niche profession, at a larger studio, so I’m really excited to imagine what we might be able to build together!

Why are informal learning spaces important?
Learning is social and it’s best achieved when people are relaxed. While a K-12 school is essential, it’s a pressure-cooker environment for kids. On the other hand, informal learning spaces allow children and adults to learn in a way that’s authentic and organic. People can discuss with each other why certain pieces do or do not resonate with them, while also learning their history. Museums increase empathy and kids that go to museums at least once per year show an increase in ability to empathize with other people. 

The secret of the G.L.A.M. world is that G.L.A.M people find magic in objects and they connect people to that inherent magic. It’s hard to throw away an old t-shirt or a childhood teddy bear because they have meaning to you—even if you know the object itself is monetarily worthless. Galleries, libraries, archives and museums help us understand which objects have the right magic for our times and how to make sense of it. G.L.A.M.s use objects to address deeper issues of how we attribute meaning and value in our lives—a concept that gets fuzzy sometimes in the world of intangible ideas. That’s also why museums can keep such gigantic collections—one never knows what will be relevant to people in the upcoming years. For example, objects created by and for American and European white men aren’t as salient in 2021 as they were in 2000. However, museums that have been wise enough to collect objects and art created by and for women and people of color suddenly have found that those objects have a whole new resonance for all people today!

What are you hoping to work on in the future at FableVision?
I have big ideas! I’m really excited about the European market because European museums (with the exception of Great Britain) have been traditionally more conservative than American museums when it comes to building game-based interactives or creative programming in their galleries. Now that they’ve seen how games and story-based exhibits in American museums have been reliably successful, European museums don’t think it's a  “crazy” new approach anymore and a lot of them are curious about what can be done there. 

I’m also interested in projection mapping, which is a fantastic way for visitors to interact with museum content. I was blown away by what was done with Connected Worlds at the New York Hall of Science a few years ago, and the technology has only improved and become more robust since then. Museums like the National Palace Museum of Taiwan’s Children’s Gallery 2.0 use this wonderful combination of animation and objects. Projection mapping is starting to appear in large, mainstream gallery exhibitions, like Tokyo’s teamLab Borderless or the traveling immersive projection Van Gogh exhibit. With FableVision’s incredible art and animation team plus our game design and development chops, I think we can create some interactive projection mapping installations that could knock your socks off! 

And what’s your approach to immersive projects?
I don’t want to get distracted by the perfect thing I could create if I had buckets of liquid cash because that’s seldom the situation in the G.L.A.M world. We want to figure out how to build the best possible project with what we have. I’ve developed a system to figure out what my design parameters are and that direction makes me more creative! It’s very seldom a blue sky so I systematically list out a project’s goals, resources, and restrictions and boil that down to a smaller subset of possible projects. We take a look at the funnest options that fit our design parameters and go from there. I find that the problem with creativity often isn’t too few ideas—it’s too many! A lot of it is the process of taming those big ideas into something that can really shine. 

How did you get started working in the G.L.A.M. community?
I started out as a middle school teacher, which I suppose is not too hard to imagine if you talk to me for more than ten minutes. After teaching in Shanghai for five years, I received my graduate degree in teaching to launch my teaching career in the U.S. However, I also worked as a producer at an educational video game company in Shanghai that built language learning games and created fun stories. I got bitten by the game design bug! After you’ve done that, it’s hard to give up interaction design and return to a regular K-12 classroom. I wanted to continue creating crazy new interactives! 

SCVNGR, a 2008 start-up that focused on social location-based gaming for mobile phones and later launched LevelUp, brought me on as the head of museum projects. It was the wild west—no one knew about location-based gaming and museum games at the time. My education background allowed me to help museums express their learning goals. As I worked with different people from museums across the world, I realized that they were my people, my tribe.

How have you seen the G.L.A.M. spaces react to the pandemic and what does that mean to the future of informal learning spaces?
There’s a long history of museums in America battling between academia/curation and education. Some lean toward the idea that museums are academic institutions that publish papers and do academic research, while others focus more on how museums are living, public spaces that draw and educate crowds. The pandemic shifted museums toward collections and many laid off staff in the education space. Although it’s devastating, it’s not surprising, and educators hope that this will balance out in about two years. While museums suffered during the pandemic, because the U.S. has a lot of smaller, quirkier museums (like the Hammer Museum in Alaska that I visited), people rallied to save the spaces they care about. You have a lot of special diamonds in the American museum system.

Another interesting thing is that a lot of the laid-off museum staff have become freelancers over the last year. As opening museums think about their physical spaces and their limited staff, they’re turning to their former staff, who are now independent contractors. While museums previously created a lot of in-house projects, I predict they’ll now be turning to other companies or outside sources.

How did you go from designing museum games, like Murder at the Met, to immersive projects?
There exists more overlapping between the two than people expect. I’m part of the Boston Playable Theatre Project, I taught as an adjunct professor in game design at Northeastern University for four years, and I’m friends with a lot of game designers in Boston, like Lizzie Stark, Caro Murphy and Celia Pearce. Boston has an amazing games community and games became part of the immersive scene really naturally here. So it was a natural transition for me as well, especially since my specialty is location-based games that involve a physical space. I’m best at getting people interacting with technology in a physical space.

Can you talk about some of your immersive theater projects?
At my company Green Door Labs, a Boston-based indie game design and production company, our first immersive theater project was Club Drosselmeyer 1939. A recreated swingtime Nutcracker set during WWII, it has elements from live-action role playing, escape rooms, and immersive theater cabarets. Last year, due to COVID-19, we did an audio Club Drosselmeyer, where audiences would listen to a radio show online, call different telephone numbers as they completed puzzles, and reach seven different endings. I’m hoping to do a full, in-person Club Drosselmeyer again this year. My swing dance community has been such an important resource because I’d contact my friends and be like, “Danny, let’s rewrite Nutcracker in swingtime” or “Elise, let’s get an eight-piece swing band!” Last year we also created the American Society for the Protection of Magical Creatures, an online puzzle-solving game about a magical nonprofit working to protect the magical ecology.

And lastly—you love swing dancing?
Yes! Before COVID-19, I would go dancing in the evening until 11 p.m. and then we’d go out for ice cream—at least three times per week. I’ve been dancing for a long time and I have a team called the Boston Lindy Bomb Squad, which does Lindy Bombs that focus on music, fun, and community. Every summer, we also participate in the Roaring Twenties Lawn Party at the Crane Estate. Everybody brings picnics, we wear our 1920s hats, dresses, and gloves, and we dance all day to live music.

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More About Kellian

Favorite era or decade? Definitely the 1940s—it’s the first time in the U.S. when women see real agency and independence that’s recognized by U.S. law. They began to own businesses, take leadership roles, and enter universities at higher rates. As women were employed in industry, publishing, and computing, the establishments started to realize during wartime that women are an essential addition to the workforce and public life. It was also the first time that women in the U.S. were accepted into the military, starting with the U.S. Army Air Force. Women Air Force cadets, also known as WASPs, served in clerical and mechanical roles. Some women pilots even ran domestic flight routes! (Though the first American female combat pilot didn’t fly until 1993.) I love the music, art, and imagery that showcase a sense of rebellion and joy in this dark time in history.

Favorite museum? Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum—I love the story of Isabella and what she collected and how. She was such a force of nature. For instance, the Rape of Europa is one of the most valuable pieces of art in the world and it’s not sequestered in a perfect room with perfect lighting. Isabella hung it right above a swatch of fabric from her favorite dress. Why? Because she really liked that dress. And the Titian was OK, too. She was so human, and there’s nothing like a regular person to add some humility to a great Titian masterwork. I love that humanity and the fact that the museum can’t rearrange her collection from how she set it. The Gardner allows you to see the art for what it is, not what it’s supposed to be. The Peabody Essex Museum is a very close second. I love that it’s the oldest museum in the U.S. and that it includes so many wonderful things—I could stay there forever! Fashion, natural history, classical art, Asian art, Asian export art, an actual house from China, contemporary art, oddities, and historic New England buildings—the PEM has it all! 

Favorite game? Quandary—it teaches the process of decision making, demystifies compromises, and helps kids understand the difference between fact and opinion. It’s a perfect game for middle schoolers because it’s so clear and logical. I think adults could stand to play it as well!

Favorite book? Baroness Orczy’s The Scarlet Pimpernel—what isn’t there to love? There’s a hero husband, a genius wife, secrets among them, secret identities, and the saving of nobles in France. Recently, I’ve been reading Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series.

June FableFriday: Andrew Start, Developer

FableVision developer Andrew Start is certainly not a newcomer to building educational games and interactives. With a background in programming and years working in the industry, Andrew brings a breadth of knowledge and experience not only to the projects he tackles at the studio, but also to the teams he works with.

“My favorite types of projects are ones where I can build tools that enable others to make awesome things,” says Andrew Start. “I am always happy to discuss needs, capabilities, and limitations in order to come out with the best possible product. At FableVision, I’m able to do that while working on a range of projects.”

An avid fan of games and an experienced learning games developer, Andrew “starts” his FableVision career bringing his knowledge and passion to help designers and artists build amazing games and interactives. His collaborative mindset, a key trait of FableVisionaries, ensures that FableVision doesn’t lose sight of designers’ creativity while building innovative projects for our clients. And the structures that he creates allow producers and designers to convert the clients’ visions into tangible products. 

Read more to learn about Andrew’s love for games, approach to learning, and favorite llama factoid!

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You’re a new FableVisionary. Welcome to the team! What is your “journey to FableVision” story?
I’ve always loved games, and I realized that I could enter the learning games industry to create games that also teach. I developed educational web games for years at CloudKid and continued that at Jibo, a social robotics company. After Jibo shut down, I focused on freelancing projects, which is how I discovered FableVision. After learning more about the studio development team, and overall culture, I accepted a full-time position here.

What does a typical day in the life of a FableVision developer look like? 
The vast majority of my time is spent head-down building out code structure or fixing bugs. Each day has its own tasks and fixes needed, so no two are the same, but overall there’s a lot of staring at computer screens and pondering involved. I’ll also spend time talking with producers and artists to keep abreast of known bugs and assets that are ready to be integrated, so collaboration and creative problem-solving play a large role in my daily routine.

What is your favorite part of being a developer, and how does FableVision differ from other studios? 
FableVision has a large range of clients and products, which keeps my daily work interesting. I like working on new challenges, whether I’m creating a game for a big-name client, an interactive for a museum, or a website for a small non-profit. FableVision’s varied clients and projects help me learn something new every day.

Technology has changed a lot in the years that you’ve been a programmer. How do you adapt to stay on top of current trends? 
I keep track of the tools that I use and then expand my knowledge to technology and situations adjacent to those tools. I also learn a lot about current trends and resources from helping out with open source projects and chatting with other developers.

What was your favorite game growing up, and how has your love of games impacted your career path? 
I don’t know that I had a single favorite game growing up, but the ones that I played multiple times were Golden Sun, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, and Pokémon Gold. Beyond the puzzles honing my analytical skills, the hours lost in the games fostered a lifelong love of video games, and that pushed me toward majoring in Electronic Game Programming in college. 

As someone who works in educational media, you also love to learn! Where do you go to learn new things, and what is your favorite random factoid that you’ve picked up?
I tend to learn from a variety of YouTube videos and Wikipedia rabbit holes. Most of that information gets packed deeply away, only to come out unbidden when tangentially related to whatever topic I am discussing. A fun fact that I can bring to mind, though, is the herding behavior of llamas: a single llama will form a herd with non-llama animals and aggressively defend them from threats, but two or more llamas will form a herd with each other and ignore other farm animals.

We hear that you’re a big fan of science fiction and fantasy. What are your favorite franchises, and what about those genres appeals to you? 
Star Wars got its hooks into me at a young age and has stuck with me ever since. My favorite part of fantasy and sci-fi media is the world-building—I have admittedly low standards for quality of dialogue and characters, but really value an expansive and coherently crafted universe that I can spend hours (or years) exploring in my imagination.

More About Andrew

Favorite video game: I think I’ll go with my soft spot for the first Company of Heroes game, whose cover mechanics ruined other RTS games for me.

Most challenging board game you’ve ever played: Diplomacy—it’s always a challenge to come out on top of six other players who are looking to betray you (or have already been betrayed by you).

Spring or summer: Trick question—winter is best, with hot cocoa, cozy fires, and no mosquitos.

A new skill you’d like to learn: I’d like to experiment with 3D printers.

Favorite outdoor activity: Ultimate frisbee.

Three people, dead or alive, you’d invite to a dinner party: A random assortment of the game-related YouTubers that I subscribe to—the conversation should be interesting, or we could just retire to the living room for some good gaming action.

May FableFriday: Andrea Hoerner, Associate Producer

Organization, communication, and trust: FableVision associate producer Andrea Hoerner has perfected the recipe for flawless project management down to a science. With a background in journalism and experience in higher education, Andrea combines strong people skills with her knowledge of pedagogy to lead teams that produce media that engage viewers and inspire change. 

The journalist in her seeks to honor the story being told by building strong connections with her team and clients. “The hours and hours I’ve spent with subjects either writing or photographing them has enabled me to build trust with clients and help them articulate their needs,” she shares. “Holding space for people to work through their ideas and observing what excites people are all ways of interaction that I bring with me into every meeting.” 

In her role, Andrea manages the studio’s technical and creative teams, as well as supports the production team on a variety of media projects. Read on for her organization hacks, advice to budding producers, and the sense of wanderlust that inspires her in all her endeavors.

Welcome to FableVision! What initially drew you to the studio, and what do you enjoy most about working in educational media?
When I first heard about FableVision, I had been trying to marry my passion for social impact and education with the work that I was doing day to day. Having come from a background working in higher education, I closely aligned with the studio’s mission. I spent some time doing my own research and connected with a FableVision staff member to learn more about the various types of projects the studio tackles. I was drawn to the work being done at FableVision, and now here I am! 

Here at FableVision, we tell “stories that matter, stories that move.” How do you, in your role as an associate producer, try to honor the different stories being told?
While each project has its own mission, deliverables, and clients, my universal goal as a producer is to ensure that our team’s creative collaboration on every project is a catalyst for the desired result of audience engagement and education. Regardless of the learning goal, I like that the work FableVision does is positive and instills a feeling of empowerment through play or interaction. As storytellers and creatives, the best way to honor different stories being told is through creating connection with audiences emotionally and visually. 

Before joining the FableVision team, you reached out to other professionals to learn more about the industry. What’s one piece of advice you would pass on to someone interested in entering the field?
As someone who loves learning from others and their experiences, I’d recommend a two-part piece of advice. I’d encourage someone interested in entering the field to network to get a sense of how the work and culture can vary at different organizations within the industry. And more importantly, I’d advocate for some internal reflection on your skill sets and experiences (“Me-search,” as I like to call it). I’ve learned that you can talk to as many people as you’d like, which is great; however, if you don’t really know who you are or what you’re looking for, it’s easy to lose sight of your own purpose.    

You manage and support multiple teams at the studio. How do you keep the lines of communication open between departments and ensure everyone works together to get a project over the finish line?
The needs of any given project fluctuate at different times, but constant effective communication remains a pervasive part of day-to-day management. When it’s crunch time for a project or we’re about to enter a new phase of production (QA Testing, animation, etc.), I am a fan of daily team huddles or meetings. These meetings typically last all of 15 minutes every day, usually bright and early, but they provide an opportunity for all team members from different departments to have a 360-degree view. This process helps build trust on our teams, which are different for each project, and I’m often sad when a months-long project wraps after the team has found a great rhythm! 

There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to managing a project. What is your secret to staying organized? 
Personally, I love organization on a Marie Kondo level, so it’s not surprising to those who know me that I have many tricks up my sleeve. One of my favorite ways I like to stay organized across my different projects that all have moving parts is through very colorful post-it note lists on my wall. I like the visual display with color and the flexibility to prioritize or de-prioritize action items listed in front of me. 

You have a lot of hobbies. How do you cultivate your interests both in and out of work, and what is your go-to way to relax after a busy week at the studio? 
My hobbies and activities are a bit more limited these days given COVID, but I like to spend as much time outside as possible on the weekends. I’m a National Parks lover, and one of my goals is to visit as many national parks as possible! If I’m not hiking with my camera or kayaking on the Charles, I can be found meandering through the Museum of Fine Arts or dabbling with watercolor. Additionally, I’m always trying to perfect new recipes for baked goods or meals and enjoy sharing them with friends!  

We hear that you’re an avid fan of photography. Who are your favorite photographers and what do you enjoy photographing the most?
Photography has always been about “clicks and connections” for me, meaning connection through my lens with my own photos or the photos of others. I am always connecting to a specific sense of place, time, and often people, which in turn usually helps me learn more about myself. 

Two of my favorite photographers are quite different from each other in style, subject, and time. The first is Ansel Adams, as his images inspired my hiking travels to Wyoming a few years ago. It was incredible to float down the Snake River and see the Tetons emerge on the horizon like he did. I love the way he utilizes light, especially in his black and white pieces. 

The other photographer is James Nachtwey, who is an American photojournalist and war photographer. I remember watching a documentary about his work in high school and it left me stunned by the beauty and raw quality of his work; he has covered tragic events/crises globally from the Rwandan Genocide to famine in Somalia. While many would run away from capturing the individual human experience in conflicts like these, Nachtwey runs towards those at the heart of these experiences to tell their stories and give them a voice through his work.   

We also hear that you love to travel. What are some of your favorite trips that you’ve taken? Where do you look forward to visiting once it’s safer to do so?
I’m itching to get back out West (Wyoming, PNW) again on another hiking trip with my camera. Staying inside most of the last year has made me really miss being out in nature and spending time in environments that are radically different from city life. Outside the U.S., I would really like to visit Norway either in the summer or winter to get a glimpse of the Northern Lights!

If you could: 

Pick up any new skill: Play guitar well.

Live anywhere in the world: London.

Listen to only one album for the rest of your life: Rumours by Fleetwood Mac.

Learn any language instantly: Portuguese.

Have any animal as a housepet: Mini horse.

Have authored any one book that already exists: Too tough to choose!

Top 9 FableVision Moments of 2020

2020 has been a year of unprecedented change—but also a time of resiliency in the face of challenge. We have seen innovative educators, creatives, and more step up to the plate to keep the learning going for students of all ages, no matter where they are.

And there is no better way to wrap up our year than with the streaming of “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” at this year’s virtual Holiday Pops Celebration. We’re so thankful for incredible partnerships and projects such as this, and for all those who helped us continue to find safe, fun, and exciting ways to connect this year, even where we’re physically apart.

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1. FableVision Games

Our highlight of 2020 is the launch of our new games platform, FableVision Games! Timely as ever, FableVision Games offers state-of-the-art, research-based games and educator tools, poised for this time of remote and blended classroom learning. Stay tuned for more games launching in 2021!

The FableVision Games lineup includes: 

Zoombinis: a relaunch of the classic, beloved ’90s game “Logical Journey of Zoombinis” created in partnership with TERC and the Learning Games Network. The game teaches Computational Thinking to grades 3-8.

Cyberchase Fractions Quest: an immersive game based on the popular, award-winning PBS KIDS series Cyberchase that combines a high-stakes adventure story with a research-based approach to fractions learning. Created in partnership with WNET and the Education Development Center (EDC) through Phase I and II support from the IES Department of Education’s SBIR program.

Civics! An American Musical: an online game for middle school students that promotes the importance of civics and teaches how to analyze primary sources. Created in partnership with Maryland Public Television, Maryland Humanities, and Tufts’ CIRCLE, as part of the Library of Congress’ Teaching with Primary Sources program.

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2. Design Principles

On our mission to tell “stories that matter, stories that move” and create positive media that moves the world to a better place, the studio authored our core design principles to share the pedagogy behind our approach. No matter the type of media—educational games, animation, museum interactives, websites, Augmented Reality experience—or the subject matter, our focus is always on the needs of our end-user, the context of their learning, and the impact of our product.

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FableVision President Gary Goldberger (left) and Communications Director Sarah Ditkoff (right) accept the KAPi Award for Keenville at the 2020 CES Convention in January.

3. Award Winners!

We pride ourselves on the quality, creativity, and educational value of our educational media and game-based projects. You don’t have to take our word for it, though! The awards we’ve won speak for themselves.

This year, we were honored to accept an award for Keenville, our literacy and math game-based assessment created in partnership with the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) and Georgia Center for Assessment. Keenville was recognized as a “Noteworthy School Product” in the 2020 Kids At Play Interactive (KAPi) Awards.

Galaxia, a bullying prevention game developed in partnership with the National Health Promotion Associates as a part of their Botvin LifeSkills Training middle school curriculum, was selected as an EdTech “Cool Tool” finalist for 2020.

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4. Amazing Partners

2020 was also a year of innovative collaborations towards a more educated and empathetic world. Here are just some of the incredible organizations we were proud to partner with this year.

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FableVision Executive Producer Peter Stidwill presents at the virtual Games for Change Festival.

5. Thought Leadership

The FableVision team’s insights shone this year as they shared their expertise and best practices at a number of industry conferences. 

Gary Goldberger, FableVision president and co-founder, spoke at the Unity for Humanity Summit about FableVision’s core design principles and how Unity creators can make accessible educational games.

Executive Producer Peter Stidwill joined three panel presentations in 2020. He presented at the SXSW EDU Conference and Festival and the Serious Play Conference on how games can teach and assess 21st Century skills. Peter also presented at the 2020 Games for Change Festival, where he shared his knowledge and best practices to make educational games more accessible. 

Creative Director, Leigh Hallisey, also attended the Library of Congress Consortium Meeting to present a poster session on our newly-launched U.S. history learning game Civics! An American Musical.

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6. Resources in the Era of Social Distancing

To support teachers, students, and families in this time of remote and blended learning, FableVision developed a myriad of robust resources to help people stay informed and to keep the learning going through this era of social distancing. 

As students and teachers around the world stayed at home to reduce risk, FableVision compiled a list of our favorite distance learning games, animation, and other resources to make finding engaging, quality digital learning tools easier.

To build awareness during Mental Health Awareness Month and beyond, we curated a list of FableVision-developed resources that facilitate open and honest conversations about mental health, self-love, and healthy coping skills.

For summer 2020, FableVision invited everyone to join us for a social distanced and educational virtual summer picnic, complete with educational games, animation, and more to help students have fun and keep their minds sharp throughout the season.

We teamed with the Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP) to produce a series of videos educating people on how clinical trials produce new treatments and vaccines.

To support educators and students as they returned to their school routines in the fall, FableVision joined over 70 federally-funded researchers and developers to produce a series of educational technology guides and resources covering a range of topics.

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7. FableVision In the News

In 2020, we were also thrilled and honored to see our work in the news, at festivals, and beyond where it can reach more audiences!  

The Animation World Network highlighted The Paper Girls Show, our new animated series created in partnership with Global Tinker that empowers young girls to play, imagine, make, and learn with STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics).  

Don’t Mix Us Up, our witty and catchy animated music video series was featured at the Bay Area International Children’s Film Festival, where attendees were able to learn all about the dangers of confusing look-alike objects. 

And last but not least, over 3,500 Lubbock County second-graders read FableVision founder Peter H. Reynolds’ book The World Collector as a part of the United We Read initiative! The festivities also featured a special video message from Peter Reynolds, encouraging their reading efforts.

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8. Seasonal Banners

Spring banner designed by FableVision production artist Julie Oliveira

Summer banner designed by FableVision director of art & animation Bob Flynn

Fall banner designed by FableVision lead artist Christina Kelly

Winter banner designed by FableVision production artist Julie Oliveira

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9. Our Incredible Team

The FableVision team celebrates the KAPi Award for Keenville in January 2020.

What a year. We count ourselves lucky to have an amazing staff that not only rolled with the punches but excelled with grace, grit, and a sense of humor. From our virtual offices to yours—the future looks bright from here. Stay safe. See you in 2021!