The Synergy Challenge

Synergy Challenge provides a new task every season where gifted students will design, create, build, and perform something from their imagination. They will post their projects on our Facebook page where it will be judged for a prize. Our goal is to keep the gifted mind stimulated, where students can work on an independent project that motivates and excites them.

Winter Challenge: Game Maker: Design and produce a game. Each entry submission will include a photo of the game and the rules of play. Submit your entry by April 1, 2012 on our Facebook Synergy Challenge Page or via Andi Stix's email listed below.

Rules for the Synergy Challenge

  • Only 1 entry per e-mail unless submitted by a teacher on behalf of multiple students.
  • Participants must seek guidance from an “Adult Mentor” who will be named on the entry form. This person can be a parent or a professional who can critique the child’s work throughout the process. For example: an professional mentor for the Game Maker challenge might be an art teacher, 4th grade teacher, or someone who works in the gaming industry.
  • All information submitted for the entry must be in the student's voice or made by the student him or herself.
  • Each person is only permitted to vote once per day.
  • A photo (in JPG format) and a video- up to 1 minute (in .mov or .mpg format) must be submitted. If more than one photo needs to be uploaded, please use Deviantart.com. ONLY for those who do not have access to Facebook, please use the entry form below and we will type in the submission for you. Those using email entries must submit one week prior to the due date.
  • Entries cannot be, have been, or are intended for submission to any other competitions.
  • Public installations can be at schools, libraries and any place that encourages improvement in community life but must obey local laws.
  • All submissions must be approved by an “Adult Mentor” who has become a fan of Synergy Westchester's Facebook page or who has contacted Andi Stix and submits it through her, via email.
  • Any entry containing profanity will be excluded from the competition. Any submission that highlights organizations, groups or individuals who have committed social injustices or have abused human rights will be similarly excluded.

Rules for Judging

  • The submission of any entry will be accepted up until midnight on the contest end date.
  • Voting will continue for two weeks after the close of the contest at midnight. For example, if the end date is April 1st, voting will cease on April 15th at midnight Eastern Standard Time.
  • The four entries with the most votes in each category will move onto the judging round.
  • Judges are a panel of educators who have no personal interest in the Challenge itself.
  • Judges will make sure that the entry satisfies the general question(s) or task(s) of the Challenge.
  • Judges will use the rubric found on the Synergy Westchester website.
  • Each column is worth: Vague: 0 - 1.0 points, Emerging: 1.1 - 2.0, Proficient: 2.1 - 3.0, and Distinguished: 3.1 to a possible of 4 points. A vote of 4.0 is a perfect score.
  • Each entry's score will be calculated by taking the average of the judges' ratings.
  • The mentor of the winning entry will be notified by email.

Cost & Awards

There is no cost affiliated with the submission of each challenge. Synergy is a non-profit organization. Its goal is to reach students from all economic levels nationwide. Two awards will be issued at each level: Early Primary, Middle Grades, and Secondary School. Students will be awarded with a $50 gift certificate to Amazon. Only one award will be issued per entry. Therefore, if a group of students submit one entry, they must share the award.

Entry Information Needed for the Synergy Challenge

Please submit all entries through the Facebook Synergy Challenge Page. If you do not have access to Facebook at home or at school, you may submit it to us via email. The following information must be provided one week prior to the due date (March 25, 2012):

  • Student's Name
  • Student's Age
  • Student's Grade
  • Mentor's Name
  • Mentor's Email Address
  • Mentor's Telephone Number
  • Mentor's Address
  • City, State, and Zip Code of Mentor
  • Name of School District
  • Name of School or Homeschooled
  • Address of School
  • City, State, and Zip Code of School
  • Name of the Game
  • Target Age Range (from-to)
  • What is the objective and what are the rules of play?
  • Equipment & Preparation
  • If cards are used, what is the content:
  • What is the average playing time?
  • Attach a close-up photo of the game. It may have multiple panels, but must be on one page. If you want to use multiple pages, please send us the link to Deviantart.com.
  • Acknowledgement that you have read the rules listed above.


    • To download Rubric for Game Maker as a PDF, click HERE