Forward is a location-based mobile game that helps players leverage their existing talents and interests to support issues they care about, improve their understanding of civic processes, and bolster the whole community’s participation in local democracy. Targeted at Millennials and teens, Forward supports bottom-up crowdsourcing of place-based art, media, and data to support local nonprofits and advocacy groups.
The game is built on four principles from the field of educational game design: 1) scaffold learning and engagement, 2) enable identity exploration and expression, 3) foster collaboration and community, and 4) offer on-demand opportunities for engagement. In recognition of the deep interconnectivity of many of today’s most pressing issues, Forward supports organizations working in the following four areas: Social Justice & Democracy, Environment & Wildlife, Education & Opportunity, and Health & Well-Being.