The beating heart of our work is summed up in a quote from Fred Rogers:

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”

For those of us who believe that, who felt it as children or who have seen it in our own kids, it drives everything that we do. We believe that every child can learn and grow to become the best version of themselves, and it’s up to us to help them with every tool at our disposal.

Digital games and apps are incredible tools. They have the potential to change lives, when the people who are making them prioritize the needs of kids.

Before Minecraft and Roblox, before (if you can believe it) smartphones and Chromebooks, I worked in what we now call digital learning or edtech. I didn’t just work in it, I found my professional purpose and my crew. I love working in an ecosystem that is driven by equal parts creativity, science, and service.

This week’s massive cuts to the U.S. Department of Education are a direct attack on the work that has fueled critical research, support, and innovation for decades. They will inflict serious harm on millions of children, particularly those who are already the most vulnerable.

They are also an attack on people who have dedicated their lives to prioritizing the needs of kids. Thousands were fired, and thousands more whose work depends on federal contracts — that had already been committed — have been laid off. These people are not wasteful bureaucrats. They are our partners. Our crew.

In future posts, we’ll explain more about who makes up that crew — designers and developers, researchers and educators, subject matter experts and community builders. If you have a favorite digital game or your kid does (mine was Carmen Sandiego), chances are there were many people behind the scenes who gave it their all.

There’s a lot we cannot change. But as long as kids are playing games, we are dedicated to helping them find the ones that can improve their lives. Chances are, those games were informed by the work of our friends at the U.S. Department of Education, and the many others who have given it their all.

— Michelle