In a press release today, Wizards of the Coast detailed its plan to aid classrooms through a partnership with AdoptAClassroom.org. Through an application on the AdoptAClassroom website, teachers can apply to receive one of 200 $100 rewards to pay for expenses in 4-12 grade classrooms. Winners also receive an official D&D library, including:
- Player’s Handbook
- Dungeon Master’s Guide
- Monster Manual
- Candlekeep Mysteries
- D&D Essentials Kit
- D&D Campaign Cases – both Creatures and Terrain
- D&D Afterschool Club Kit, including a copy of D&D Starter Set: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Wow, $100! That’s almost 3 whole seconds worth of revenue for them!
Plus they’re plugging their products into the lives of kidsz who will then grow up with their products and be more likely to purchase them as adults.
Don’t be fooled into thinking this is an act of benevolence. This is marketing through and through.
Apple did the same thing with computers in schools and Google’s doing the same thing with Chromebooks right now. I honestly thought this is more of a PR thing to help their image. I don’t think 200 schools just is enough to actually move the needle. This could be a pilot program though. I have a hard time seeing how this could be used in the actual classroom. As an elective definitely but I don’t see history teachers using DND and having to write a lesson plan around it and all the accomodation paperwork for anyone with an IEP. Some teachers already find that stuff a pain in the butt for traditional lesson plans. Who knows though it could happen.
That’s very true! It’s also true that D&D teaches math, reading, problem solving, and creativity. Win-win.