Video Game Character Throws Down an Earth Day Challenge, Dares CEO to Plant 1 Million Trees to Slow Climate Change

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) April 22, 2012

XEOPlay, the company that designed the first accelerometer game on the iPhone, offers an Earth Day challenge! On April 22, join players all over the world to play Tilt World a beautiful game that sets Flip, the mighty tadpole, against pollution and the forces of evil Blight. Players control Flip, a tadpole determined to replant the virtual world of Shady Glen and conquer climate change in the real world by planting real trees in Madagascar through a partnership with WeForest. Begin by helping Flip rid the environment of Blight and continue with the little eco-hero to chomp carbon from air and catch seeds to restore the forest that is Flips home. Then check out the global scoreboard as players Tilt together to clear the world of Blight. Tilt World is available on the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3G, iPad, and iPod Touch second generation and beyond. On sale now for $ 0.99 cents on the Apple App Store. (http://TiltWorld.com/buy_tiltworld.html)

The next time someone chides you for wasting time and playing games, tell them that you are saving the world one tree at a time. ~ Edwin Kee, Ubergizmo.com

EARTH DAY CHALLENGE:

XEOPlay is on a mission to have players break 3 Million Tilt Points through Earth Day and thats enough to send their CEO Nicole Lazzaro to Madagascar to plant the first batch of thousand trees with their friends at WeForest. All thats needed is loyal Tilt World players to team up with Flip to achieve the goal. The final goal is up to 1 Million trees by the end of the year. As a special treat this Earth Day, XEOPlay is doubling what players points would normally be worth, which means players can help to plant twice as many trees!

About the Tilt World Design Team (http://www.TiltWorld.com)

Tilt Worlds Shady Glen: drawn by Iggy Mederios with Matthew Petyo and Glenn Hernandez; soundscapes by the Emmy Award-winning Stuart Dubey, programming by Dave Gregory, Chuck Soper, Dan Super, and Erik Bryn; and award-winning game design by Nicole Lazzaro.

About Nicole Lazzaro (http://www.nicolelazzaro.com/about)

For 20 years, founder and CEO Nicole Lazzaro has made entertainment more engaging through player experience design – applying her research that unlocked how games create engagement with the mechanics of the Four Keys to Fun. Nicole has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Stanford, was honored by Fast Company as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in High Tech, by Gamasutra as one of the Top 20 Women in Games, and one of the Top10 Women in Gamification.

About XEOPlay, Inc. (http://www.XEOPlay.com)

Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, XEOPlay makes games that unlock human potential to improve quality of life through play. XEOPlay utilizes the innovative research on emotion and the fun of games of its sister company XEODesign.com to develop games for change and is pioneering the playsourcing movement.

About WeForest (http://www.WeForest.org)

WeForest is an international non-profit organization established as a Belgian ASBL/VZW and incorporated as a 501(c)3 in the U.S. Its purpose is to empower local women by planting trees in tropical regions, creating bio-diverse forest gardens that restore degraded land, protect biodiversity, produce clean water, ensure food security and counter Global Warming. WeForest.org has reforestation programs currently in: Ethiopia, Madagascar, Tanzania, Zambia, The Philippines, Kenya, India, Brazil and Honduras.

Social Media:

Tilt World Twitter: @TiltWorld

Tilt World Facebook: facebook.com/TiltWorld

Tilt World Blog: http://tiltworld.wordpress.com

Nicole Lazzaro Twitter: @NicoleLazzaro

Nicole Lazzaro Blog: http://www.nicolelazzaro.com

Game Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sCWmy0T73d4

Video Game Character Throws Down an Earth Day Challenge, Dares CEO to Plant 1 Million Trees to Slow Climate Change

Working Together to End Hunger: Local Leaders Take on CalFresh Challenge

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) September 07, 2012

An alliance of anti-hunger groups – The San Diego Hunger Coalition, Feeding America San Diego, Hunger Advocacy Network, North County Community Services Food Bank, San Diego Food Bank, Super Food Drive and 2-1-1 San Diego – will be hosting the CalFresh Challenge. The Challenge tasks participants to live on an average of $ 4.31 per day for one week, September 9th to September 15th. By completing the CalFresh Challenge, participants will better understand the difficulties of trying to eat on a small budget and the value of CalFresh (formerly known as food stamps) for low income people.

The experience is not simply to see how cheaply one can eat, says Jennifer Tracy, Executive Director of the San Diego Hunger Coalition, but to reflect on the choices for eating healthy, the psychological impacts of having limited access to food, and what it might be like to face this experience for months and even years.

To help promote September as Hunger Action Month, leaders from all of San Diegos anti-hunger groups will be participating. Community members are also encouraged to also take part in the challenge. Participants can register to participate and share their experiences, pictures and videos on the CalFresh Challenge blog: http://www.calfreshchallengesd.wordpress.com .

The Food Stamp Challenge was started in 2007 when four members of Congress decided to live for one week on an average food stamp budget of only a couple dollars a day. The goal then, as now, is to raise awareness and understanding about the challenges faced by millions of Americans receiving CalFresh benefits and the indispensable value of the program.

In the middle of the recession in 2010, Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) the federal name for CalFresh, helped maintain 3.9 million Americans above the poverty line, including 1.7 million children and 288,000 seniors. SNAP can serve as a responsive safety net in times of unemployment and recession, expanding to meet the needs of struggling Americans and automatically contracting as the economy improves, states Tracy.

The CalFresh Challenges ultimate goal is to develop a unique perspective and first-hand experience of the program, which then can be used to mobilize support for a program that has historically garnered bipartisan support and proven itself as an efficient and tremendous safety net for millions of Americans.

About the San Diego Hunger Coalition (SDHC)

SDHC strives to eliminate hunger by collaborating with individuals and organizations that provide services to those in need, educating the public about hunger and advocating at local, state and federal levels. The San Diego Hunger Coalition (SDHC) leads collaborative initiatives and public policy advocacy activities to reduce hunger and increase participation in Federal nutrition programs in San Diego County. SDHC is the lead organization providing CalFresh outreach training and support to more than 45 community-based organizations (clinics, food pantries, churches and social service agencies) working with low-income communities throughout San Diego County. For more information, visit http://www.sandiegohungercoalition.org.

About Feeding America San Diego

Established in 2007, Feeding America San Diego is San Diegos largest distributor of food, more than 21.5 million pounds within the last year, and the only Feeding America affiliate in the county. FASD works closely with over 160 partner agencies, local school districts, corporate partners and a network of volunteers to serve 73,000 children, families and seniors in need each week. Devoted to feeding the hungry, advocating for a sustainable future, and educating the community, FASD is committed to building a hunger-free and healthy San Diego through innovative programs and collaborative partnerships.

About North County Community Services

North County Community Services (NCCS) is committed to improving the health and well being of North County residents by educating young children, supporting working families, feeding the hungry and ultimately creating opportunities to improve the quality of life for incomequalified residents of Northern San Diego County. We support this mission by providing Early Childhood Education to children of incomequalified families at our seven Child Development Centers and by feeding hungry North County residents through the outreach efforts of North Countys Food Bank. http://www.sdnccs.org/

About Hunger Advocacy Network (HAN)

The Hunger Advocacy Network (HAN) is a collaborative of San Diego hunger stakeholders who conduct state-level anti-hunger / food security advocacy. HAN partners annually develop a food security-focused legislative agenda to support through year-long advocacy activities. Within their first year of development, HAN has acquired 16 reputable partners, successfully advocated for four state bills, coordinated a legislators breakfast and engaged in a variety of advocacy events. http://www.hungeradvocacynetwork.org or call (858) 637-3032.

About SuperFood

Working with partner organizations, SuperFood Drive educates the community about the health benefits of eating nutrient-dense SuperFoods and works to ensure the accessibility of healthy food to all people, especially those in need. Our vision is to transform local food drives, national food banks and global humanitarian aid into providers of nutrient-dense non-perishable SuperFoods. By educating both the givers and receivers of non-perishable SuperFood items, we promote health and well-being to individuals and their communities.

About Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank

Established in 1977, the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank is a critical component to the welfare of San Diego County, providing food to people in need, advocating for the hungry and educating the public about hunger-related issues. Through a combination of government programs and partnerships with over 350 San Diego County nonprofit charities, the Food Bank is a central repository and distribution point for government and donated food. In FY2011-2012 the Food Bank distributed 18 million pounds of food to individuals, families and a network of nonprofit organizations that work to alleviate hunger throughout the county. Visit the Food Bank at http://www.sandiegofoodbank.org

About 2-1-1 San Diego

Every hour of every day, someone in San Diego County searches for services, from food assistance to substance abuse treatment, housing or financial assistance. With thousands of health and human service programs, finding help can seem insurmountable. 2-1-1 can help. Serving the entire population of our region, 2-1-1 San Diego connects people with community, health and disaster services through a free, 24/7 stigma-free phone service and searchable online database. Using the power of technology and innovation, we connect people to the help they need. To complete a CalFresh application over the phone or access other community services, dial 2-1-1. For more information about 2-1-1, visit our website at http://www.211sandiego.org to learn more.

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Working Together to End Hunger: Local Leaders Take on CalFresh Challenge

PayPal, Convio, TakePart, and Challenge Your World Sponsor Competition to "Change the Web"

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) February 23, 2009

PayPal, Convio, TakePart, and Challenge Your World will sponsor Social Actions’ Change the Web Challenge, a competition to create innovative tools that help people find and share opportunities to take action on the websites, blogs, and social networks they visit each day. Social Actions, a web-based nonprofit initiative, will launch the Change the Web Challenge on February 23, 2009.

“We’re extremely excited to be a part of such a wonderful program,” said Judy Chang, Product Manager for Nonprofits at PayPal. “We hope the ideas and fundraising tools developed through this contest will have a lasting impact on nonprofits across the board, helping them use the web to increase and streamline donations.”

Web developers who enter the Change the Web Challenge have a chance to win a share of $ 10,000 by building web applications that draw on Social Actions’ open database of 60,000+ actions people can take across a range of issues. Social Actions currently aggregates opportunities to make a difference from over 40 online platforms, including VolunteerMatch, Kiva, DonorsChoose.org, Idealist.org, and Change.org.

“Making a difference in the world is no easy task, but the Change the Web Challenge is trying to change this very notion by harnessing the power of the Internet to encourage online philanthropy and social change,” said Sara Spivey, Chief Marketing Officer for Convio.

To be eligible for prizes, participants must use the Social Actions API, have an open-source license, and submit a fully functional application. Developers are encouraged to create applications for popular open platforms and websites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Mozilla Firefox, Google Apps, WordPress, Drupal, Google Gadgets, Joomla, OpenSocial, and OpenConvio.

A handful of applications have already been created by developers using the Social Actions API:

DonorsChoose.org Possibly Related Classroom Projects: A WordPress Plugin that analyzes a user’s blog posts and shares related classroom projects from DonorsChoose.org.
Twitter Action Pack: Over 30 Twitter feeds that automatically post action updates related to particular issues (i.e. the environment, human rights, education).
Firefox Ubiquity Command: A Firefox mashup that allows users to highlight any phrase as they browse the web, and find related ways to take action.
“Online tools that connect people to real world actions in creative and accessible ways have the potential to rapidly accelerate social change. We are thrilled to support this Challenge and look forward to implementing these tools on TakePart.com,” said Chris Gebhardt, General Manger at Participant Media’s new social action network, TakePart.

The Challenge will be hosted on Netsquared.org, an initiative of TechSoup Global. A community vote in early April will narrow project submissions to 20 semifinalists. A panel of web and social innovation experts will then determine three finalists based on the applications’ innovation, user-experience, and potential for impact. Winners will be announced at the NTEN Nonprofit Technology Conference in San Francisco on April 28, 2009.

“For the public school teachers who have posted the 11,000+ classroom requests at DonorsChoose.org, the Change the Web Challenge has the potential to make a real difference,” said Oliver Hurst-Hiller, the CTO of DonorsChoose.org. “It’s an exciting opportunity for developers to put their skills to work to connect donors with students in high-need classrooms.”

During February and March, Social Actions will also host face-to-face Change the Web meetups, and an online Change the Web Conversation Series to discuss how to use specific technology platforms, like Facebook, Twitter and the iPhone, for good.

“By bringing actions to the people, people can bring change to the world,” said Bennett Grassano, the Director of Development for Kiva.

For a schedule of events and more information about the Change the Web Challenge, go to http://www.socialactions.com/changetheweb.

Change the Web Challenge sponsors:

Host: NetSquared, an initiative of TechSoup Global.
Sponsors: PayPal, Convio, TakePart, Challenge Your World.
Technology Partners: Mozilla, WordPress
Media Sponsors: CauseWired Communications, Mashable, NTEN, Ode Magazine, Osocio, Livingston Communications, ProgrammableWeb, Replyforall, See3 Communications, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and Techvibes.

About Social Actions:

Social Actions (http://www.socialactions.com) is a nonprofit initiative committed to making it easier for people to find and share opportunities to make a difference. A search engine on SocialActions.com helps users find ways to take action for the causes they care about from over 40 action sources including Kiva, DonorsChoose.org, Change.org, Nabuur.org, DemocracyinAction, GlobalGiving, Idealist.org, SixDegrees, VolunteerMatch, and Care2. Social Actions creates incentives such as the Change the Web Challenge to encourage the distribution of their open API to websites, blogs, and mobile devices.

Social Actions was selected as a 2008 Stockholm Challenge finalist, and received 2008 NetSquared Mashup Challenge and DonateNow Mashup Challenge awards. Social Actions has been featured on PBS Online, SFGate.com, The Wall Street Journal, and The Daily Telegraph, and by leading tech blogs such as TechCrunch, ReadWriteWeb, and Mashable.

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PayPal, Convio, TakePart, and Challenge Your World Sponsor Competition to "Change the Web"