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We Are Martinsville (WAM): Leveraging Mobile Gaming for Community Engagement and Improving Health

We Are Martinsville (WAM): Leveraging Mobile Gaming for Community Engagement and Improving Health

Mona El Khafif, Kathy Hsu Wibberly, Elgin Cleckley, Tho H. Nguyen, Marcus H. Divers
Copyright: © 2021 |Volume: 10 |Issue: 4 |Pages: 25
ISSN: 2160-9918|EISSN: 2160-9926|EISBN13: 9781799862550|DOI: 10.4018/IJEPR.20211001.oa4
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MLA

El Khafif, Mona, et al. "We Are Martinsville (WAM): Leveraging Mobile Gaming for Community Engagement and Improving Health." IJEPR vol.10, no.4 2021: pp.63-87. http://doi.org/10.4018/IJEPR.20211001.oa4

APA

El Khafif, M., Wibberly, K. H., Cleckley, E., Nguyen, T. H., & Divers, M. H. (2021). We Are Martinsville (WAM): Leveraging Mobile Gaming for Community Engagement and Improving Health. International Journal of E-Planning Research (IJEPR), 10(4), 63-87. http://doi.org/10.4018/IJEPR.20211001.oa4

Chicago

El Khafif, Mona, et al. "We Are Martinsville (WAM): Leveraging Mobile Gaming for Community Engagement and Improving Health," International Journal of E-Planning Research (IJEPR) 10, no.4: 63-87. http://doi.org/10.4018/IJEPR.20211001.oa4

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Abstract

Rural communities in Virginia have experienced a decline caused by national economic trends. Formerly vibrant towns with rich histories and cultures increasingly suffer from a shrinking population and a lack of new investment, directly impacting the quality of life and services like education or healthcare. The loss of identity is a hindrance to innovative planning strategies and entrepreneurship. This paper reflects on an ongoing serious game effort developed by the University of Virginia and piloted in Martinsville, VA. That city's once-vibrant community faces challenges like unemployment, opioid addiction, and obesity. We Are Martinsville (WAM) recognizes Martinsville's rich ties to its history and cultural assets, offering a digital tool in support of a creative placemaking strategy. WAM fosters community engagement while simultaneously increasing outdoor activities and allowing stakeholders to generate place-based game content. This paper describes the findings of the pilot project.