Used by more 130,000 teachers and more than four million students to date, Mission US is part of an expanding body of “serious games” that immerse users in historical and contemporary problems in ways that encourage perspective-taking, discussion, and weighing of multiple kinds of evidence. Hallmarks of Mission US include:
- Proven effectiveness: Multiple research studies have shown that playing Mission US improves historical knowledge and skills, leads to deeper student engagement, and promotes richer classroom discussion. (Read about our Research Studies.)
- Deeply and collaboratively researched: Mission US is created by a team that includes historian educators and scholar advisors, to ensure the games and educator materials are guided by rigorous scholarship, and involves members of communities portrayed to ensure they are active participants in telling their own stories. (See our Development Process.)
- Ethical and age-appropriate design: Mission US uses feedback from teachers, students, and an advisory board of experts in culturally responsive education, adolescent development, ethics and game design, and other relevant areas, to help make our games effective and engaging. The games are constructed so that students identify with characters, make decisions, and take risks, but maintain critical distance from the situations depicted. (See our Ethical Design Principles.)
- Enables inclusive social studies curriculum: Mission US highlights the role of ordinary people in making history. It includes the experiences and perspectives of diverse Americans, especially those who have been ignored or marginalized by traditional accounts. (Learn more About Our Goals and the Missions.)
- Accessible and easy to use (in classroom and out): Mission US games are designed for a wide range of learners and instructional settings. The games are available for free, online, include vocabulary and other reading supports, and are accompanied by comprehensive, standards-aligned classroom materials. (See more about Teaching with Mission US.)