Center for Serious Play

About The purpose of the Center for Serious Play (CSP) is to transform education and foster community development by bridging the gaps between innovative design, development, teaching and application of interactive media technologies. Building on UW Bothell’s signature strengths in interdisciplinary inquiry and hands-on learning, the CSP will bring together faculty, students, and industry partners to make a serious impact in diverse fields such as P-12 and higher education, health care, and sustainable environments. The CSP will foster the development of innovative products, services and processes through team-based projects and partnerships with industry and educational communities. The program shall link the design and development of interactive media with both the educational and business communities. The resulting synergy will build a dynamic learning community, where students can work with industry mentors in creating virtual worlds, educational games or other tools and innovations with real-world purposes. This will provide a rich environment for outreach and collaboration with P-12 educators and students, which in turn can build student interest and college-readiness skills in areas related to regional needs and opportunities. The Center for Serious Play supports the overall mission of UW Bothell by encouraging and supporting collaborative, interdisciplinary, and cross-program initiatives, as well as by fostering productive relationships with the employment community and promoting a strong public service commitment The Center supports UW Bothell’s goals not only by connecting students with industry and educators but also by encouraging innovative commercial applications and entrepreneurial ventures. The Center for Serious Play will leverage the faculty, courses, infrastructure and industry support that have been assembled through development of a new Interactive Media and Technology degree to help build a campus and regional resource. The Center will also complement academic programs across campus by providing an interdisciplinary learning-lab environment. The CSP will intersect with new degree programs as they come online, providing students with opportunities to be involved in Center activities.