iPhone/Android App name: Immigrant Nightmare <-- (USA is center country) available for free
iPhone/Android App name: Immigrant Challenge <-- (Player can choose the center country) will be available on 2/16/17
Immigration is a global issue. No one knows how to create an effective
solution to the ongoing crisis. We hope that through our board game and accompanying
mobile APP, we can help bring greater awareness to the complexity of this global
issue impacting us all.
My name is Sarah and this is our story...
It began when my son, Aidan, had to design a board game for his 4th grade school
project. With the ongoing presidential election and media reaction, all he could
think about was immigrants and a HUGE wall.
By 8:00 PM that evening, Aidan showed me the very first sketch of his game and
surprised me.
Different countries represent players, positioned on the corners of the board.
In this prototype, the United States is at the center. The goal is for each
player to get inside the wall. The first one to arrive is the winner.
Each player in his/her path goes through the ups and downs, back and forth to
get a degree and collect the appropriate assets and credentials required to
travel into the U.S. and pass the wall … and some who can’t afford the education
nor acquire the skillsets may come illegally through a tunnel. This reflects
the reality of this global challenge.
Aidan turned in his project to school the next day but unfortunately it was
rejected and portrayed as a racist game and he ended up in principal’s office.
Both my sons and I were shocked by this reaction.
As a mother, who came to the United States many years ago and who is now an
U.S. Citizen, I was saddened by the rejection of the project. I felt that my
children were innocently interpreting what was being presented in the
media.
As a family, we realized how important this topic is and decided to make a real
version from the original prototype. We began creating the laminated board game,
print cards, and website:
http://www.Immigrantchallenge.com
Within a few days of launching the board game, we realized that having an actual
Android and iPhone APP would allow us to reach a larger audience and spread
awareness of the global immigrant crisis.
We hired a technology company to build our first mobile APP prototype. It is
a 4 player interactive game that allows players to select the bordering countries;
complete with vitrual asset cards, instructions, rewards and much more.
They bring awareness about the struggle of immigrants, and how building
a wall won’t solve the root cause.
They hightlight and educate the players on all the ways to enter a country legally
while shedding light on the insurmountable challenges of trying to do
so.
They address the positive aspects of the immigrants desire to bring their assets
and knowledge and contribute positively to the host country.
WHAT IS OUR HOPE?
The board game and APP were designed with a mission in mind. We want to bring
awareness to young kids and young adults. We want ensure they understand the
real struggles of immigrants and their importance and contributions to our society.
Our want to create ways which will allow more dialogue on this topic, foster
understanding, and unite us as a society rather than divide us due to misunderstandings,
biases and fear.
WHY DO WE NEED YOUR HELP?
Our board game and APP are prototypes. They are great starting points to get
our mission launched. Up to now, we have self funded and invested thousands
of dollars in creating these products but we now need your help!
We look to you as donors and investors that can help us develop and manufacture
the game and APP so they can be made available to consumers, families and children
as fun teaching tools.
The funds you donate will go toward:
Market Research, Product Position & Strategy
Product Branding & Packaging Design
Product Development, Packaging and Distribution
Web Design, Email Marketing, Content Marketing, Social Media, SEO, Public Relations
Legal Fees: Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, etc.
1st Year Administrative Support, Office Supplies, etc.
As we continue fine tuning both the board game and APP, we are reminded of the
issues that the games are addressing. They brings awareness to the huge immigration
crisis in America and around the world. Building a HUGE wall won’t stop it.
We also address what would have happened if immigrants like Steve Jobs’ father,
a Syrian, would have never come to the US. Imagine a world without all
these current gadgets around: iPhones, iPads, iMacs. They wouldn’t have existed
if Steve’s father hadn’t come here. Immigrants are not the source of all the
issues a nation faces. As a matter of fact, all of America’s Science Nobel Prize
winners this year were won U.S. citizens who were once immigrants.
As a mother who once was an immigrant, I tried to expose my children to science
and music and help them follow the foot steps of game changers of the world.
In other words I am trying to add value to my host country, which has now become
my home after 24 years.
As our founding fathers ...
We think a bowl of various fruits is better than a bowl with only one type of
fruit in it. As such, we feel that a place where people of all different cultures
live together is better than a place where everyone looks and believes the same.
RACISM is ugly, but DIVERSITY is beautiful.
Let us build bridges instead of spending $8 Billion
to build a wall. For example we could build 800 to1200 vocational
schools on the US-Mexican border to teach skills to future immigrants and they
can apply to enter to the US legally and add value.
Version 1.0 Beta: The Immigrant Challenge’s first edition will tell the story of immigrants coming to America (Currently called “Immigrant Nightmare” in Mobile stores);
Version 2.0: Will show immigrant challenges traveling to and from a larger array of countries (Will be in mobiles APP stores by 12/15/16 named “Immigrant Challenge”)
Version 3.0: As a story telling platform, it will cover future historical events across the globe and in different time periods throughout century. This will be accomplished by:
a) A new user interface for entering the text of the moving cards to reflect historical event and the time
b) The center country can be changed to any country, and considering corner countries can be changed too, we will have a platform that will offer a more universal narrative for immigrants as the journey across the world.
Version 4.0: Incorporate “virtual reality” of The Immigrant travelers from different countries to allow users to experience the hardship and back story of each The Immigrant.
So please help us by supporting our mission. Donate to our GoFundMe campaigh
and help us get our two products (Board Game and IOS APP) developed, manufactured,
tested and launched to the global market. Thank YOU!
Facebook: Immigrant Challenge
Twitter: @ImigrantChaleng
Version 1 iOS/Android App: Immigrants Nightmare
Version 2 IOS/Android App: Immigrant Challenge
Sincerely, Aidan, Daniel, and Sarah
MEET OUR TEAM:
Aidan, who is 10 years old, creator and the designer of the game and
tester
Daniel, 14 years old, business analyst and tester
Sarah
Click on gofundme button below to donate to our team
