The HALO Foundation’s Post

Forget the tired stereotype of gamers slumped in front of screens. In Dorchester School District 2, esports are taking center stage in schools, offering students a dynamic world of competition, skill development, and career exploration. It's not just about racking up wins in "Valorant" or mastering the drifts in "Mario Kart" – although there's plenty of that too! Esports are more than just a fun way to pass the time. They're an educational tool, a career springboard, and a vital step towards building a future generation of skilled, confident, and connected individuals. #LenovoLegion #esports #gaming #gamingcommunity #esportscareers #esportsindustry #esportsjobs #letsgo #esportslife DD2 starts first eSports program in Lowcountry | News | postandcourier.com

Let’s go

A friendly reminder that if you have yet to register and submit your brackets for Mission Madness, time is running out! Brackets must be submitted by the first game, starting at 12:15pm tomorrow, so GET YOUR PICKS IN NOW! Brought to you by our good friends at Babb, Inc., Mission Madness is a March Madness-style tournament pool, allowing for registrants to submit brackets for both Men’s and Women’s NCAA Basketball. The bracket winner of each group will receive $500, and see an additional $2,500 go to a nonprofit of their choosing-- Voices for Independence included, of course! All you have to do to get started is register with an email and a password of your choosing at either of the links below. From there, simply join both groups at said links (entering the corresponding, case-sensitive passwords below when prompted), and build your brackets to submit! Basketball knowledge is NOT required, as you can randomize your entire bracket, if desired! The more participants, the more of a chance we all have to potentially help support Voices for Independence, and don’t forget-- you get to shoot your shot at winning $500! • Men’s bracket group (when prompted for group password, enter Babbinc1): https://lnkd.in/en6vYfFE • Women’s bracket group (when prompted for group password, enter BabbInc2): https://lnkd.in/eb6TnfMJ Voices for Independence would like to sincerely thank Babb, Inc. once again, for allowing us to join the list of local nonprofits involved with this incredible event. As they say, “Bracket by Bracket, Mission by Mission: Join the Madness that Matters!” For any additional questions or troubleshooting, please reach out to Babb’s dedicated team at missionmadness@babbins.com #MissionMadness #MarchMadness #NCAABasketball #NCAA #NCAABracket #Bracket #Basketball #BABBInsurance #BABBInc #BABB #VoicesForIndependence #VFICIL #CenterForIndependentLiving #CIL #DisabilityRights #DisabilityAwareness #Disability #IndependentLiving

In the vibrant realm of digital landscapes, where pixels dance to the rhythm of untold tales, a group of young girls has found their sanctuary – the world of gaming. In this pixelated wonderland, they not only conquer virtual realms but also break barriers in a reality where stereotypes persist. Help me give my students a opportunity to bridge the gap and address the underrepresentation of women in STEM and esports. Along with building a healthy safe environment for females to progress in gaming. https://lnkd.in/e4DX3fxP #girlsinstem #girlsintech #girlswhocode #girlswhogame

Raise social awareness through gamification! 📢💡For the American non-profit organization #RISE, we teamed up with On Board Experiential to launch a mobile game with a storyline that educates the sports community about discrimination and empowers them for social justice and racial equity. “Together We Rise” is a endless runner game that seamlessly blends fun with education, challenging players with quiz questions on vital social skills. Some of these questions, for instance, come directly from real-life examples of famous athletes who have persevered through discrimination in their sports careers and focus on Rise ’s charge of equipping young athletes with the tools to overcome discrimination and empower them for social justice in their lives. This experience is represented in the game, where players must rise through clouds of discrimination as a single spark—an approach that uses serious gaming to help users overcome discrimination in real life. 🙌 Check out our case page for more info on this special project ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e-x8F74v #TogetherWeRise #SocialJustice #SeriousGaming #RiseAgainstDiscrimination #InclusiveGaming #Demodern #CreativeTechnologies Demodern — Creative Technologies

CHILDREN WANT MORE HIGH-QUALITY CHILD-LED PLAY, MORE OFTEN A recent review of our participation data showed that, since one of our community backyards, Joomunjie Land, has been open 3 days per week, more children are coming to play, more often. Some children have come to 92% of the 63 after school play sessions held over the past 6 months. The average return rate of Joomunjie Children is 65%. These children are now getting 165 minutes per day or 495 minutes of high-quality child-led play, over 3 days per week. THEY STILL WANT MORE.... THEY STILL NEED MORE.... Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care Australian Physical Activity Guidelines say that children 5-14 need 60minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day. The Australian average is 1 in 10 children get enough physical activity every day. Joomunjie Land Children are getting 2.75 times the daily requirements during the days the space is open. The local Playworkers want to support the local children to have access to more play, more often. All we need is more funding to make this happen. Can you help? If so get in touch. Australian Institute of Play is a register charity. Our mission is to renormalise child-led play, where children live, so they can play, every day and reap the benefits of an amazing childhood, rich is physical and social activity. #childrensrighttoplay #communitybackyard #childledplay #playfullogan Australian Institute of Play #JoomunjieLand

I could be accused of being biased but I genuinely believe this is a great piece of research, on so many levels. Here are just a few thoughts from me as to why: 1. As you would expect from Access Sport, the presentation and format is clear and easy understand. 2. The final product also contains a playbook, which goes beyond the research and is an attempt to bridge that gap and help support organisations and clubs to actually embed the findings. 3. Research is not my specialist area but this is one of my (if not the) first experiences of reading research that talks to the things that we 'sports for change' professionals have known and understood for a very long time. The fact is though that sport still has a huge way to go to fully achieve it's potential around social impact, and for that to happen, perceptions around what sport is and what sport can do, is pivotal. This research, which is evidenced based, supports that by highlighting the things that are often overlooked. Well worth a look.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) All Star Weekend in Indy was a remarkable event filled with all things bougie and basketball. But it wasn't just about the glitz and glamour, it was also about giving back. Did you know that 1 in 5 children in Indiana don't know where their next meal is coming from? Pacers Sports & Entertainment partnered with the NBA and the Million Meal Movement (MMM) to bring the first-ever 24-hour NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service to fight hunger in Indiana. They brought together 6,000 volunteers to pack ONE MILLION meals to be distributed to food pantries throughout Indiana. I had the privilege of being a part of this event. We packed rice casserole in bags while wearing hairnets, but we had a DJ spinning great music - much needed at 5am 🕔. I didn't see any celebrities, but I did make two connections with two cool ladies. I wasn’t aware of MMM until this weekend. Check out volunteer opportunities at https://lnkd.in/g9b3vyzD. Your work, church or friends groups can sponsor a pack. Pretty cool. A special shoutout to Rico Francis, Social Impact Director for the Pacers Foundation, for saying hello when I rolled up to the registration table. When I checked in, Rico said, “Oh Linda Calvin, I follow you on LinkedIn.” How cool is LinkedIn? We put actual smiling faces with profile pictures. So awesome to turn a link into a real connection. #linkedinconnections #millionmealmovement #NBAAllStar #NBAAllStarWeekend #NBAcares #CommunityService #GiveBack #Indiana #FoodInsecurity #HungerRelief #PacersFoundation #SocialImpact #LinkedIn

🏆 Street League's 5-a-side Football Tournament - 12.01.2024, 9:30 AM 🏆 Hey LinkedIn! 🌐 Join us on January 12th for an action-packed 5-a-side football tournament hosted by Street League, a charity dedicated to empowering young adults through sport. 🤝⚽ 🌈 WHY YOU SHOULD GET INVOLVED: 1️⃣ Social Impact: By participating, you're supporting a cause that actively helps young adults find employment or further their education. It's not just a game; it's an opportunity to make a real difference. 🌍💙 2️⃣ Team Building: Bring your colleagues for a day of fun, teamwork, and camaraderie. Strengthen workplace bonds on and off the field—because a connected team is a successful team! 🤝🏅 3️⃣ Community Engagement: Show your commitment to the local community by backing a charity that believes in the power of sport to transform lives. Be a force for positive change! 🌟 4️⃣ Brand Visibility: Showcase your business as one that values community engagement and social responsibility. It's not just about playing football; it's about being a champion for a brighter future. 🚀🏆 📅 SAVE THE DATE: 12.01.2024 🕤 KICK-OFF: 9:30 AM Ready to score goals on and off the field? ⚽ Let's make a lasting impact together! 🌐✨ #StreetLeague #5aSideTournament #CommunityImpact #BusinessEngagement #TeamBuilding #MakeADifference

🌟 Breaking Down Barriers Through Football 🌟 🏙️ Incredible things happen when young people from different postcodes come together, especially in communities where tensions and conflicts can divide. ⚽️ Over the summer, participants from two of our community projects Rockwood and Hodge Hill faced off in a football match—not as rivals, but as united competitors. For many of these young people, playing an 11-a-side game isn’t always an option. Barriers like access to resources, economic struggles, and postcode conflicts often stand in the way of simply enjoying the beautiful game. ⚽ This event was about more than football—it was about teamwork, resilience, and creating opportunities where there are often none. For some, this was their first chance to play in a full 11-a-side match, an experience many take for granted but one that holds deep significance in communities like ours. 👏 Big shout-out to the young people who stepped up, left postcode conflicts aside, and reminded us that sports can be a powerful tool to build bridges and strengthen our communities. 💪 #BreakingBarriers #CommunityUnity #FootballForChange #YouthEmpowerment #Inclusion #PostcodeUnity #GrassrootsFootball #OpportunityForAll Kiran Patel Ray Vince Bryn Lewis Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP Richard Parker Sharon Thompson, JP Claire Wheeler Jenny Carter Mark Lawrie Aaron Northmore Shamila Majid Tara Verrell Shah Begum Nicola Turner MBE Jemima Waltho