Farmcraft 2023 SOW - SAM NOI.docx

Statement of Work Farmcraft 2023: Using Minecraft to Promote Biotech Office of American Spaces, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Office of Agricultural Policy, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs

BACKGROUND:

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), in consultation with the Department’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs (EB), intends to enter into a contract with World Wide Scholastic Esports Foundation (WWSEF), an affiliate of the North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF), for the purpose of initiating a third outreach project on agricultural biotechnology aimed at students. NASEF will provide services as detailed in Sections IV and V, below.

I. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT:

To increase the participants’ (middle and high school-aged students within selected countries) understanding of agricultural biotechnology and encourage collaboration with others around the world using a virtual program that is composed of science-based Esport Minecraft challenges, informational videos prepared by experts in the field, and live online engagement events.

II. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

The Period of Performance is one year starting upon time of award and must begin prior to September 30, 2022.

III. PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The ECA Office of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Innovation (ECA/P/MELI) and the EB Office of Agricultural Policy (EB/TPN/AGP) will support the continuation and further development of a virtual exchange program that enhances the understanding of the use of biotechnology in agriculture. The ECA Office of American Spaces (ECA/A/M) will consult and assist in the development of the program. Pursuant to a contract between ECA/A/M and WWSEF, the contractor will execute a virtual program to facilitate an international exchange that focuses on international agricultural issues and the role of biotechnology to overcome persistent global challenges, including climate change and food security. Employing Minecraft, a critically acclaimed video game with open-source programming and used to develop multiple Esports challenges, teams of participants will interface with a modified Minecraft world and compete between groups via U.S. diplomatic and consular posts (“posts”). The goal of the game is to create agricultural systems that mimic real-world production, trade, and environmental conditions. In addition to the interactive Esports challenges, the virtual outreach program will include information videos presented by experts, international virtual exchanges among participants, and direct interaction between participants and experts. This virtual outreach program will promote STEM/STEAM careers and topics, helping foreign audiences to better understand and engage with concepts that underlie agricultural sustainability, which supports U.S. agricultural policy.

In order to identify posts that would be best suited to engage in the virtual outreach program, WWSEF will deliver a one-to-two page agenda that details the timeline and specific outreach topics that will be covered throughout the virtual outreach program no later than 10 days after award. The objectives outlined in the agenda will provide a basis for the selection of interested posts and serve as the first deliverable in the contract. After receiving the deliverable, EB/TPN/AGP will reach out to identify at least three posts, working in collaboration with ECA/A/M, which will work identify at least three American Spaces with a desire to participate in the program and will notify WWSEF of the results no later than December 30, 2022. ECA and EB will then place the selected posts and/or American Spaces in direct contact with WWSEF and will continue to facilitate the implementation and execution of the virtual outreach program. The chosen posts and American Spaces will assist WWSEF in identifying local participants to join the challenge.

IV. WWSEF DELIVERABLES:

A. Deliver a one-to-two-page agenda that details the timeline and specific outreach topics to be covered throughout the virtual outreach program.

B. Execute at least four live “Food for Thought” 1-hr sessions in coordination with the Department of State, facilitated by experts (e.g., food security, trade, biotechnology, game development) in the field in order to promote concepts and careers in agricultural biotechnology and food security and streamed on the WWSEF platform and YouTube livestreams.

C. Expand upon the existing Farmcraft world model to develop additional challenges and/or biomes in order to explore the role of agricultural biotechnology and other tools in overcoming modeled real-world challenges, including food insecurity, such as:

a. Using NPCs to provide essential and stimulating information regarding the role that agricultural systems serve in enabling local, regional, and global food security;

b. Modeling the impacts of farmer choice on food availability on the market and the effects on hunger and nutrition;

c. Balancing the economic pressures of input costs, consumer preference and demand, and environmental effects;

d. Exploring the different traits that can be introduced into crops using biotechnology (e.g., crop yield, nutrient supplementation, flavor, food healthfulness, storage/shelf life).

D. Execute an 8-16 week competition, streamed on the WWSEF platform and YouTube livestreams, that takes place in a specifically designed Minecraft biome world, which enables participants to compete in challenges for developing the best farming designs that emphasize crop yields, the appropriate use of biotechnology, impacts of climate change, and sustainability.

E. Execute virtual exchange opportunities where students can tap into their talent apart from their competitive teams. This enables students with diverse interests in different sectors to learn new skills, expand their knowledge, interact with participants from different countries, and gain real experience in potential future career opportunities. Opportunities will incorporate biotechnology and food security change topics.

F. Execute student/educator ambassador virtual summit(s), where participants present their knowledge, learning, and explore the contributions of others in the tournament. The ambassador alumni program will act as a program retention tool to deepen skills and connections between participants and promote mutual understanding.

G. Manage communication servers and forums for teams/communities throughout the project to exchange ideas and enable direct communication between participants.

H. Provide marketing, communications and social media marketing tools (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, and visual collaterals, such as graphics and video).

I. Deliver recognition and digital certifications for tournament winners and virtual exchange opportunity participants.

J. Provide professional, regional trainers (or coordinators) to create regional networks of participants and alumni to increase exchange opportunities between participants within those regions, promote mutual understanding, and enhance their understanding of local agriculture challenges. Regional networks could be matched to State Department regions to assist with engagement with U.S. embassies. The State Department regions are: Western Hemisphere, Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and North Africa, East Asia and Pacific, and South Central Asia. These regions can be adjusted based on participating countries.

K. Incorporate real time simultaneous head-to-head scrimmages between teams utilizing Minecraft Education Make and Model worlds. Regional competitions could be organized by regional trainers.

L. Incorporate and integrate mini-games and/or related programs already in existence (e.g., Minecraft's Sustainability City, crop breeding) into the overall project, using education-based incentives to encourage their use.

M. Support ECA/P/MELI’s monitoring & evaluation (M&E) efforts.

N. Provide Minecraft Education Edition licenses to teams without access to software.

O. Compile a summary of the program that highlights the strengths of the program and to what extent the outreach objectives were met.

V. WWSEF RESPONSIBILITIES:

Program Preparation The virtual outreach program will be conducted as an outreach exchange between three or more posts, connecting participants with both each other and internationally recognized science experts.

A. WWSEF will be responsible for executing the logistical preparations and handling arrangement costs for the program. These costs may include, but are not limited to, the following activities: virtual platform utilization, development of materials, establishing challenges, funds to support mentoring activities, funds to support regional networks and their activities, and obtaining licenses for MEE.

B. WWSEF will provide the selected posts, ECA/A/M, ECA/P/MELI, and EB/TPN/AGP with a program schedule, a list of speakers, a list of participants, and any other information that ECA/A/M, ECA/P/MELI, and EB/TPN/AGP deems relevant by no later than three weeks before the Esports challenge is to take place.

C. WWSEF will support ECA/P/MELI’s M&E efforts.

Program Execution A. WWSEF will oversee the development and implementation of the program in coordination with ECA/A/M, ECA/P/MELI, EB/TPN/AGP, and selected posts. The program will occur over an 8-16 week time period, during which participants will engage in Esports challenges, participate in virtual exchange opportunities, and interface with global experts. At least one WWSEF staff member will be present (virtually) during each live component of the program.

B. All events will be completed no later than the established period of performance end date.

Program Follow Up A. WWSEF will compile the results of the program into a report, which will include summaries of each of the challenges, the virtual exchange opportunities, and the live virtual events with experts. This report will briefly highlight the lessons learned and successes from the program, as per observations/general feedback from stakeholders (students, teachers, facilitation experts, etc.), as well as the results from ECA/P/MELI’s M&E efforts. This report will be provided to ECA/A/M, ECA/P/MELI, and EB/TPN/AGP within two months of the completion of the virtual program.

VI. EXPECTED ECA ROLE:

A. ECA/A/M and ECA/P/MELI will be two points of contact at the Department for WWSEF, and EB/TPN/AGP will serve as a third point of contact.

B. ECA/A/M and ECA/P/MELI will help identify specific ECA offices that are best-suited to create and facilitate educational exchanges between student-student, teacher-teacher, and students-teacher.

C. ECA/A/M will identify at least three American Spaces to participate in the program and will act as the coordinating point between NASEF and the American Spaces staff.

D. ECA/P/MELI, with support from ECA/A/M, EB/TPN/AGP, and WWSEF, will conduct M&E activities to understand the impact of the program activities and future efficacy of the Esports programming model.

E. Funds from ECA/P/MELI will be primarily used to support activities, such as student/educator virtual summits, for international engagement between participants, local communities, and posts.

VII. EXPECTED EB/AGP ROLE:

A. EB/TPN/AGP will be one of three points of contact at the Department for WWSEF, with ECA/P/MELI and ECA/A/M serving as the other two.

B. EB/TPN/AGP will identify at least three posts (including those with non-American Space participants) to participate in the program and will act as the coordinating point between NASEF and posts.

C. EB/TPM/AGP, in coordination with ECA/A/M and ECA/P/MELI, will release an ALDAC cable discussing the success of Farmcraft 2022 and asking for participation in Farmcraft 2023.

D. EB/TPN/AGP will help ensure that scientific information is accurate and that policy-specific objectives are met.

E. EB/TPN/AGP will provide access to subject-matter experts and publicly available data to aid in program development as requested by WWSEF.

Funds from EB/TPN/AGP will be primarily used to support the development of the Farmcraft world and activities focused on enhancing understanding of agricultural concepts.