Originally posted: http://www.ymcanyc.org/association/pages/y-mvp
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A new component of the successful Strong Kids Card program, Y-MVP is an innovative digital game designed to stimulate teens to increase their daily levels of Moderate to Vigorous Physical activity.
Adopting online game design techniques, New York City’s YMCA has created a dynamic badge system that motivates, recognizes and rewards young people’s MVP levels while helping them to create life-long healthy habits.
How it works: Healthy by playing
The game encourages users to engage in a variety of fun physical activities and report their workout. As they log in exercises and increase their training time, they earn virtual badges and accumulate points. The digital badges “unlock” additional privileges (e.g., access to fitness classes), incentives (e.g., t-shirts, water bottles) and help them set new goals. The badge progression serves to empower kids to develop the knowledge and skills to take responsibility for their own personal fitness and celebrate their accomplishments.Teens participate by scanning their Y membership or Strong Kids card at an eye-catching Y-MVP kiosk located at the entry of their branch.
A social fitness network
Y-MVP also capitalizes on the popularity of social media sites to promote healthy lifestyle values, and build a community of young people that values physical activity.
Participants are encouraged to share their won badges and earned rewards on social media sites, while a Timeline and Leaderboard displayed on the kiosk’s login page show users accomplishments and reinforce the importance of daily physical activity.
Y-MVP will soon include the PLAYlist, an additional web-based feature where Y-MVP users will be able to share their favorite workout routines and challenge other teens to try their workouts. The Y-MVP Playlist is being developed in conjunction with the Institute of Play, under the sponsorship of the Hive Digital Media Learning Fund in the New York Community Trust.
Pilot program
Y-MVP is currently a pilot program at the Bedford-Stuyvesant Y, in Brooklyn. In a second phase, the Y plans to expand the pilot to other branches with the goal of having the Y-MVP program functioning citywide by 2014.
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