• 26Aug

  ‘Teach with Africa’ and ‘The Randy Pausch Fellowship’

  EA Outreach 2 Comments

  

  

  ‘Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world’.  Nelson Mandela

  This is a great insight article into the phenomenal work of our close friends ‘Teach With Africa’.  In the past month EA and ‘Teach With Africa’ made an exciting announcement.  Here’s the inside scoop.

  This past month at the LEAP Maths and Science Schools in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa, the first ever Randy Pausch/Teach with Africa Fellows began teaching computer science and technology skills to high school students from the surrounding townships.

  “Teach with Africa’s educators, including the Randy Pausch Fellows, are working alongside South African teachers to provide a solution to the acute shortage of skills, particularly math and science, among the children of economically and socially challenged populations,” explained Amy Schoew, executive director of Teach with Africa, a Bay Area non-profit dedicated to breaking down barriers to education. “By sharing their expertise in how to make technology come alive for these children, the Randy Pausch Fellows are an integral part of the best practices exchange that is taking place between the US and South African faculty.”

  The Randy Pausch Fellowship – funded by EA in partnership with Teach with Africa – honors the memory of the late Dr. Randy Pausch and addresses the dire computer teacher and trainer shortage in the educational crisis facing South Africa. During July and August, the Teach with Africa program is assisting with teaching learning strategies to help students – who historically were denied math and science instruction during apartheid – to overcome the vast achievement gap that continues to be a barrier to university education and jobs.

  The Randy Pausch Fellowship program provides EA employees and teaching associates with an opportunity to have a profound impact on a community in need, while honoring the memory of the beloved computer science educator who developed the Alice open source programming application known for teaching kids math, programming and computer skills in a fun and engaging way.  

  

  Cindy

  “We believe that sending IT trainers to South Africa to train faculty and instruct students in basic computer operation and Alice educational software will extend the reach of Dr. Pausch’s legacy,” said Cindy Nicola, Vice President of Talent Acquisition at EA.  “In addition to honoring Randy and having a profound impact on the students in South Africa, our partnership with Teach with Africa supports EA’s focus to cultivate rewarding relationships with our local communities, universities as well as current and future employees.  In the words of this year’s EA fellow, ‘it’s an experience of a lifetime’.”

  

  Many people know Randy Pauschfrom his “last lecture” on how to turn dreams into realities, which he prepared for his children while dying from pancreatic cancer. He delivered the lecture to 400 students and colleagues, and it has since been viewed by millions throughout the world on the Internet. The Last Lecture was developed into a book, which shot to the top of the best-seller list and has been published in 30 languages. Dr. Pausch passed away in July 2008, and Teach with Africa and Electronic Arts created the Randy Pausch Fellowship in recognition of his enormous contributions to his field and to humanity. 

  Randy’s full lecture is posted on www.cmu.edu, (Carnegie Mellon).

  As already mentioned, ‘Teach with Africa’ are great friends of EA.  Hence we would love to provide more insight into the great work they are doing.  First up, take a look at this video….

   

  Teach with Africa’s mission is to break down economic and social barriers to education in Africa through an exchange of teaching and learning. Teach with Africa responds to the dire teacher shortage and educational crisis in South Africa by sending multi-disciplinary teams comprised of teachers, mental health professionals, and MBAs focused on sustainability and social entrepreneurship. By integrating their experiences into curricula and educational programs after their return to the United States, these educators will enhance opportunities for children in the Bay Area and beyond to identify themselves as “global citizens” through authentic connections, ongoing dialogue and shared learning with the students in South Africa. Teach with Africa partners with the LEAP Maths and Science Schools, a community-based intervention school with an extended school day, rigorous academic preparation, and extra academic and emotional support. Since opening in January 2004, LEAP graduates are passing their university entrance exams at rates significantly higher than their peers in traditional South African schools. www.teachwithafrica.org and www.leapschool.org.za

  They also have a Facebook community page at:  http://tiny.cc/NdR20

  If you wish to donate.  Visit www.teachwithafrica.org/contribute.html or www.networkforgood.org KEYWORD: Teach with Africa

  

  © 2009 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners

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  Tags: Randy Pausch, Teach with Africa

• 26Aug

  Recruitment Advice in a Recession…part eight…lying on your resume/cv!

  Opinion Piece, Opportunities No Comments

   

  Successful Reference?  Welcome to EA.

  Next in this series of ‘Recruitment Advice in a Recession’ is prompted by several emails from our readers and this news report by Iain Lee, on the BBC One Show, about lying on a resume/cv.  Take a look here for more context:  http://tiny.cc/SPCJ6

  As the economy struggles free from the grips of recession, unemployment levels are increasingly high across the globe.  Finding a job is challenging.  Pressures build on people, they have bills to pay, families to support, mortgages to pay.  Hence increasingly pressure is building on people to be creative with a resume/cv and embellish achievements or responsibilities held in previous roles.  But what are the consequences of getting caught?

  Most companies today have ethical guidelines or values which they expect their employees to aspire and live by, (including EA).  Common to those values is integrity.  Lying on a cv is therefore a breach of those values.  “Generally speaking, lying on your CV isn’t a criminal offence,” says Raymond Jeffers, chairman of the Employment Lawyers Association in the UK. “But once you begin obtaining money under false pretences because you have lied on your CV, then that is deception and fraud. It is a very unwise thing to do.”

  What sorts of things do people lie about?

  - Their age.  Taking a few years off hoping this helps them gain interviews

  - Their salary. Adding a few thousand to their earnings to boost their starting salary potential

  - Their job titles.  Becoming a Senior Manager or Director overnight

  - Approximations eg equating that a Manager level role in a large company is the same as a Director role in a small start up

  - Benefits.  The discretionary bonus becomes a guaranteed minimum pay out of x thousand each year

  - Company car  The Ford Focus becomes an Aston Martin DB7

  - Qualifications.  Grade inflation eg having all ‘A’Grades.  Gaining extra qualifications be it a Degree or Professional Qualifications

  - Where you studied  Becomes seemingly more prestigous eg Oxford College becomes Oxford University

  - Successes.  Team successes suddenly become individual successes

  - Length of service with en employer.  To reduce any gaps in employment, length of service with a company is lengthened

  - Gaps in Employment  Become gaps for travelling, study leave etc

  - Disability.  Hiding any disability eg epilepsy from employers in the hope this makes a difference

  - Management experience.  A team of 3 direct reports becomes 30

  - Claiming to have set up an organisation / debating society is a favourite

  - Claiming to have spoken at Industry Conferences / Events when they haven’t

  - Hobbies.  Elaborating hobbies to sound healthy & intelligent.  Gym is a favourite, reading high brow books, working for charitable organisations etc

  - Reason for leaving previous job. 

  Some of the above are obviously more serious than others.  But all are a breach of the values of honesty and integrity.

  Key to any decision about lying / embellishing on a cv is whether a person will get caught.  Lying on CVs can be costly, a material falsehood on a CV could well be a fair reason for subsequent dismissal, even if discovered a long time afterwards. What’s more a serious lie in the UK earning someone a job they would not have otherwise obtained is seen as a criminal offence under s.2 of the Fraud Act 2006 -which replaced the traditional offence under the Theft Act of obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception.

  One of the most famous examples in the UK is that of Neil Taylor: he produced a bogus degree certificate to secure the £115,000 position as head of the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust in 2003. After admitting the offence of obtaining a pecuniary advantage through deception, he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.

  The great thing about the games industry is that it is still small and most people know each other.  Therefore, companies can seek opinions on applicants from their existing staff who have worked with them in the past.  It’s a small world in gaming and everyone knows each other.  Interestingly, more and more individuals publicly post their cv’s/resumes online eg on LinkedIn profiles, hence everyone can see what people claim to have achieved.  Those ‘team successes ‘claimed as ‘individual successes’ suddenly become more hollow as friends and colleagues read the claims.

  Many companies now take up references either directly or work through a Reference Checking agency.  A switched on Company can ascertain much of the embellishments/lies listed above.  It is never too late to catch someone.  Even when starting a job, details can emerge eg lying about your salary will be picked up via the last employer’s pay slip, which when landing in the new companies accountants department hands, will immediately be able to clarify total earnings for the past year, ie that £50,000 being claimed is seen to be in reality £35,000!  That £5,000 bonus was actually £500!

  In the US most employers now hire specialist companies to carry out checks on potential employees. UK firms are following suit, hiring companies such as www. backgroundchecking.com. The checks vary between overnight checks making sure that temporary staff are who they say they are to an in-depth examination of everything from credit rating and national insurance to directorships and criminal record.

  So, our advice is clear.  Tell the truth on your cv.  However much being out of work is painful or however much you want to impress to get your dream job.  Lying on a cv is a form of gross misconduct, carrying instant dismissal.  If this happens, a reference from the dismissing employer is free to state this, hence a future career may be wrecked.  Hope this advice helps.

  

  © 2009 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners

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  Tags: Lying on a CV, Recruitment Advice in a Recession

• 26Aug

  Sharing our Passion

  EA Outreach No Comments

  

  Another great story to share.  Today, Kate Booth, EA’s European Outreach Manager, gives a great insight into a teenage games competition at Chase Hospital.

  Over to you Kate……

  EArl

  ————————————————-

  Sharing Our Passion

  On any given Saturday evening many teenagers across the world are excitedly getting ready to go out with their friends to enjoy everyday activities such as youth clubs and discos.  For some, these types of activities are not accessible.  Why? Because they are restricted in what they are able to do due to serious illness, which means that it is more difficult for them to take part in many activities others take for granted.  This doesn’t mean that they don’t want to go out and join their friends; it’s just that they aren’t able to.

  This was a topic of conversation I had when I met with representatives from Chase Hospice. Chase Hospice is a very special place, providing emotional and physical care for children who are not expected to reach their 19^th birthday.  Whilst chatting, it became clear that EA could help change this by organising a teenager games evening.  With the help of Chase, a date was set, invitations sent and the very first Chase Teenager Games Event took place with the help of willing volunteers from EA.

  The children arrived, some more nervous than others but after the initial 10 minutes of getting to know one another, the games were set up and challenges issued – who would win England or Brazil on FIFA, Federer or Sampras on Grand Slam Tennis or the noise level created when jamming on Rock Band….before anyone knew it, it was time to “down console” and enjoy pizza and Kentucky Fried Chicken. 

  It was a great evening, much enjoyed by all those attending including a couple of gate crashers!  These children just want to be given a chance to be like anyone else and EA were happy to help.  The next games evening has already been pencilled into the diary and challenges issued……

  

  

  

  © 2009 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners

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  Tags: EA Outreach

• 26Aug

  The beauty of Hell……

  Developer Insight, Games No Comments

  

  Early concept for the giant Nimrod, the legendary builder of the tower of Babel.

  I wanted to share with you some more of the concept art for Dante’s Inferno.  Never has Hell looked so beautiful.  Enjoy.

  

  Concept art for the wheel of fortune in the fourth circle Greed. Gives you an idea of the thought and detail that goes into some of these set pieces.

  

  A small concept piece from the eighth circle of hell

  

  A little piece of concept art from the eighth circle of hell

  

  Exclusive by our comic series artist Diego Latorre.

  

  

  Here’s the poster for the animated feature that was debuted at Comic-Con

  

  Here’s a small piece of concept art from the Lust level. Gives you an idea of how much thought and attention to detail goes into even the tiniest pieces of the environments.

  

  Here’s a panel from the comic book, in case you missed it. Artwork by Diego Latorre.

  

  Some concept art from the Wood of the Suicides.

  

  Here’s a cool render of Virgil. It’s un-posed and un-lit, but we thought you all would enjoy it. Virgil appears and disappears throughout the game as an optional narrator, and his lines all come from the poem as he describes how Hell works.

  

  Here’s a style frame from one of the flashbacks in the game. You’ll be hearing more about these movies in the coming months. They are the scenes of Dante’s tapestry (in his chest) come to life, and represent the sins of his past. Fully animated, they are giong to be dark and disturbing!

  

  Some crazy concept art from Greed, the fourth circle.

  

  An early concept piece for the River of Boiling Blood, in the first part of Violence, the seventh circle. We didn’t want to make the centaurs into enemies (feels like that’s been done), so we are making gigantic set pieces out of them, where the centaurs become the level itself.

  © 2009 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners

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  Tags: Concept Art, Dante's Inferno

• 24Aug

  Hasbro Family Game Night 2…..Wii

  Games No Comments

   

  Hey there.  Exciting news……Family Game Night 2 is coming.  So what’s new?

  Featuring OPERATION, JENGA, BOP-IT, PICTUREKA, and CONNECT 4X4 on the Wii, HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 2 offers original and new modes to play these Hasbro favorites. MR. POTATO HEAD returns as master of ceremonies and your host in a brand-new “Game Show” mode which transports players to a television game show studio complete with an audience and “Challenge Wheel.” HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 2 for the Wii will also allow fans to use their Mii characters, customize MR. POTATO HEAD, pick new themes and obtain new trophies.

  Just as Hasbro’s worldwide “Family Game Night” campaign is designed to promote the social benefits of playing board games with family and friends, the video game counterparts from EA can also pack in plenty of fun at such gatherings.

  Key features

  • Games included are: OPERATION, JENGA, BOP-IT, PICTUREKA! and CONNECT 4×4
  • Play more of the classic games you know and love with 1-4 players, including all-new modes such as OPERATION: The Germinator and JENGA: Hammertime
  • HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 2 is the follow-up to EA’s successful 2008 product which received several accolades including a Parents’ Choice Silver Honor Award as well as an “All-Star” Award from Toy Wishes Magazine
  • Use your Mii’s to compete with family and friends in the all-new “Game Show” mode
  • Customize MR. POTATO HEAD with eight different unlockable themes including “Tokyo Gamer” and “Wild West”
  • Pick from new environments and obtain new trophies to add to your collection
  
  © 2009 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners

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  Tags: Hasbro, Hasbro Family Game Night 2

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