The 2011-12 school year at Penn will be all about gaming. 

The Provost’s theme year, a project that involves multidisciplinary inquiry across Penn’s 12 schools and many resource centers, will be the Year of Games: Body & Mind. In conjunction with the theme, the Year of Games Grants Program will offer opportunities to create, participate in and learn about games. Penn faculty, staff and students can apply, either individually or in groups, for grants up to $750. There will be additional funding at a higher level available for special projects, such as larger conferences, speakers and special symposia co-sponsored by several Penn schools or centers. 

The Provost, Council of Undergraduate Deans and Office of College Houses and Academic Services have also announced the text for the2011-12 Penn Reading Project (PRP): Jane McGonigal’s “Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World.” This book, which focuses on the major role that video and computer games play in our lives, will serve as the kickoff for the Provost’s theme year. On Sept. 4, 2011, first-year students and faculty members from all schools will come together to discuss the book as part of New Student Orientation for the Class of 2015. Past PRPs have included Ben Franklin’s “Autobiography,” Franz Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” and Thomas Eakins’ painting, “The Gross Clinic.” For more information, go tohttps://secure.www.upenn.edu/themeyear/games/.