Video game
competition to raise HIV awareness announced

MTV's 24-hour college network and the Kaiser Family Foundation announced a competition to create a Web-based video game that will raise awareness of HIV/AIDS among 15- to 24-year-olds and promote action in response to the epidemic. "Change the Course of HIV Challenge" is open to any college-age gamers, activists, or students; the winning idea will be developed by mtvU and Kaiser, which have committed $75,000 to implement and market the game.

"No undergrad in school today has known a world without HIV/AIDS, and a new young person someplace in the world is infected every 15 seconds," said Stephen Friedman of mtvU in a release. "Through this challenge, we hope to inspire college students to use the power of online gaming to engage their peers, reawaken them to the magnitude of this deadly virus, and effect prevention."

Tina Hoff, vice president and director of entertainment media partnerships at Kaiser Family Foundation, added: "The competition is designed to help us reach young people in a different and engaging way to help inform them about HIV/AIDS and spur action. As HIV remains the great public health challenge of this generation, it's essential to find new and creative ways to engage and inform young people about the epidemic."

The deadline for submission is March 16. More information and submission guidelines are available at www.mtvU.com.