NASEF invites students from across North America to tap into their creativity and share their passion for preserving our planet in an Earth Day 2021 competition. NASEF is joining Epic Games and its Unreal Futures program, along with the Close It Summit, for a national event available to students ages 13-25. The competition will leverage the 3D technology of Epic’s Unreal Engine™ for students to create a real-life advertisement (PSA) for Earth Day 2021.

As they prepare their entries, students will build marketable skills and a portfolio piece for college and job applications and demonstrate their abilities using the popular Unreal Engine to create a 3D ad. In addition, they can win significant prize money: up to $2,500 for the winning entry! There are categories for teams and individuals, and contestants will be grouped by age (13-18 and 19-25). Access to all tools (Unreal Engine, Unreal Futures, and Tallo) is provided free. The competition runs through April 12, 2021. 

Earth Day 2021 Competition Details

According to a report by Burning Glass, new and emerging careers are being created at a phenomenal pace. In fact, jobs that require real-time 3D skills are growing 601% faster than the job market overall. Unreal Futures was launched to meet the rapidly growing use of 3D technologies across the future of work.

The Earth Day 2021 competition is a perfect complement to NASEF’s line-up, which focuses on preparing youth for work in the esports ecosystem and similar industries. The event provides students an opportunity to learn and practice valuable skills in a fun, interactive way, with a chance of winning a competition at the same time! 

“We are really excited about this competition and the launch of Unreal Futures,” said Linda Sellheim, education program manager for Epic Games. “With Unreal Futures, students will get access to real-life projects created by industry leaders in advertising, aerospace, fashion design, and other industries using Unreal Engine. This new learning series will prepare students for the new world and provide them with projects for their portfolios.”

Tallo, Inc., a leading virtual workforce platform will host the competition for learners across North America. "At Tallo, we know that bridging the gap between talent and employers is all about fostering the right connections,” said Casey Welch, CEO and co-founder of Tallo. Learners can learn more and register at https://tallo.com/unreal-engine-competition/.

The competition includes a distinguished list of expert judges and collaboration with NASEF.org, a learning provider connecting students to a virtual platform to acquire skills critical to today’s workforce through gaming and esports. ”NASEF is excited to be a partner in this opportunity to share Unreal Engine and all its value to students through our lens of play (gaming and esports),” said Gerald Solomon, founder and executive director of NASEF. “Esports, when filtered through the lens of learning and academics can have a profound impact on the ability of students and young adults to see the opportunities that are available to them to thrive”.

“We are so thrilled to have this as part of the Close It Summit this year,” said Jamai Blivin, CEO of Innovate+Educate and producer of the Summit. “These skills are increasingly growing in so many industries, including advertising, film and television, architecture, automotive, aerospace, and more. It’s critical to bring awareness to educators, learning institutions, workforce intermediaries and funders the importance of these skills across industry.”

Register free for this exciting event at https://tallo.com/unreal-engine-competition/. Entries are due April 12, and winners will be announced on Earth Day, April 22, 2021.