IBM Launching Educational MMO For Teens

In an attempt to convince high schoolrs that math and science are cool (hey guys, they’re not beating down the door to history classes, either), IBM is launching a new, free to play MMO called PowerUp that will challenge players to solve problems involving solar, wind, and hydropower before the environment of a fictional planet is destroyed by mounting crises. Of course, there’s more:

IBM international foundation president Stanley S. Litow said, “Innovation is the key to competitiveness in today’s globally integrated economy, but just when we need it to skyrocket, interest in math and science has been declining in the United States. American competitiveness demands more interest in math and science by students. Virtual worlds and 3D are an unexplored resource in education. We asked our best researchers to incorporate the use of this technology into traditional educational curriculum.”

We’ll see how popular this experiment winds up being, but I’m sure we’ll see more of the same in the future. The game is launching today, and you can find details at the game website.

IBM Announces Environmental Learning MMO For Kids [Worlds In Motion]