CodeSpeak Labs

Hong Kong, here we come!

Jen Chiou, founder of CodeSpeak Labs and Quest Craft, and Nissie Arcega, game developer and Women in Games Ambassador, will be in conversation about the power of play on Wed, April 1.

Thank you to Games for Change Hong Kong for organizing this exciting event. We can't wait to meet more of the amazing global game community!

🌏 April 1, 7:30 PM GMT+8, Hong Kong
✅ RSVP: https://luma.com/9j1w7hj1

Such fun times at SXSW EDU! 🙌

Thank you to everyone who made it out to see Jen Chiou (Founder of Quest Craft and CodeSpeak Labs), Sarah Jacobstein (Sesame Workshop's Joan Ganz Cooney Center), and Dr. Elizabeth Kilmer (author of "Therapeutically Applied Role-Playing Games")!

We met so many inspiring education leaders and can't wait to hear more from them about how games are unlocking empathy, communication skills, and social belonging for teens and tweens.✨

😎 We’re headed to SXSW EDU!

Jen Chiou, founder of CodeSpeak Labs and Quest Craft, will co-host an interactive workshop about how tabletop role-playing games can support social-emotional learning and youth mental health.

✨ She’ll be joined by amazing co-hosts Sarah Jacobstein of Joan Ganz Cooney Center and Elizabeth Kilmer of Respec. ✨

Join us to play through a live tabletop role-playing quest and dive into the research behind games boosting social-emotional learning!

And for our fellow dice lovers out there, we’ve got some custom wooden dice for your future game adventures. 🎲

📅 March 9 • 2PM CT
SXSW EDU • Brazos I-III
https://schedule.sxswedu.com/2026/events/PP1161981

🌟 Come Together at CCSA! 🌟

We’re excited to be part of the 2026 California Charter Schools Association Conference in Long Beach and we invite you to join a special Networking Breakfast: AAPI Educators & Leaders: The Stories That Brought Us Here.

Hosted by CodeSpeaks Labs founder Jen Chiou, this gathering is open to all and will be about connection, belonging, and shared experience. We’ll talk about personal journeys that brought us into education and leadership, honoring both the things that unite us and our unique paths.

☕ Make new connections

🤝 Share your story or listen and reflect

💬 Explore how we can continue building community, support, and unity beyond this event

✏️ When we learn together, we can strengthen our schools and communities in ways that uplift all students. 🌍

📅 Feb. 25, 2026
📍 Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA
🎟️ Advanced sign-ups are required + space is limited!



https://charterconference.org/2026/program/search/detail_session.php?id=68997746

Thank you to the Word Up Community Bookshop for letting us host our magical TTRPG game at last month’s Uptown Kid Lit festival! Thank you to the young adventurers who participated in our quest, and look forward to many more play sessions by visiting www.questcraftkids.com

Happy Questing!
PC:
•
•
•

How can we design digital spaces that truly support kids’ well-being? Join the RITEC Remix Lab with the 2025 Joan Ganz Cooney Center WBxD Fellows: a playful, hands-on workshop remixing design, youth voice, and well-being! 🌈✨

📅 Oct 8, 2025 | 1PM PT

VOTING IS ALMOST OVER!!

Can games improve mental health in the classroom? We think so.

Quest Craft is excited to facilitate this workshop alongside Sarah Jacobstein from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and Dr. Elizabeth Kilmer, clinical psychologist and expert in therapeutic games.

Our interactive workshop “Level Up! Role-Playing Games for Well-Being in the Classroom” shows how tabletop role-playing games build empathy, confidence, and collaboration.

You'll experience a live game demo, explore real classroom case studies, and walk away with free, ready-to-use curriculum aligned with the RITEC well-being framework.

Vote on the SXSW EDU Panel Picker:

https://participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sxsw26/community-voting-edu-auth/page/community-voting/session/1753329014537001AVbR

Help us bring the power of play to more classrooms!
Thank you for your vote.

Imagine this: our ideas, live on the 2026 stage.

We're in the running - and your vote can make it happen! You can vote for our session now - 

https://participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sxsw26/community-voting-edu/page/community-voting/session/1753329014537001AVbR 

*Easy link in stories*

 

Can a game change how kids connect, learn, and grow?
Quest Craft is headed to SXSW EDU - if we get your vote.
Support our TTRPG workshop: https://participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sxsw26/community-voting-edu/page/community-voting/session/1753329014537001AVbR

🎲 Vote for Our SXSW EDU Workshop! 🎲
Can games improve mental health in the classroom? We think so.

Quest Craft is excited to facilitate this workshop alongside Sarah Jacobstein from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and Dr. Elizabeth Kilmer, clinical psychologist and expert in therapeutic games.

Our interactive workshop -“Level Up! Role-Playing Games for Well-Being in the Classroom” - shows how tabletop role-playing games build empathy, confidence, and collaboration.

You'll experience a live game demo, explore real classroom case studies, and walk away with free, ready-to-use curriculum aligned with the RITEC well-being framework.

🎥 Watch the preview: https://youtube.com/shorts/j5IR6PevUQA

🗳 Vote on the SXSW EDU PanelPicker: https://participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sxsw26/community-voting-edu/page/community-voting/session/1753329014537001AVbR

Help us bring the power of play to more classrooms!

PanelPicker | SXSW Conference & Festivals PanelPicker® is the official SXSW user-generated session proposal platform. Enter ideas and vote to help shape Conference programming for SXSW and SXSW EDU.

Vote for Our SXSW EDU Workshop! ⭐️ Can games improve mental health in the classroom? We think so.

Quest Craft is excited to facilitate this workshop alongside Sarah Jacobstein from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and Dr. Elizabeth Kilmer, clinical psychologist and expert in therapeutic games.

Our interactive workshop 🎯 “Level Up! Role-Playing Games for Well-Being in the Classroom” shows how tabletop role-playing games build empathy, confidence, and collaboration.

You'll experience a live game demo, explore real classroom case studies, and walk away with free, ready-to-use curriculum aligned with the RITEC well-being framework.

➡️ You can vote on the SXSW EDU Panel Picker (shared in stories)

What if the best tool for teaching kids empathy… was a game? 🎲

We’ve seen how tabletop role-playing games (think D&D) can help students build creativity, social-emotional skills, and even learn tough subjects like coding or Cantonese. ✨️

It’s not about dragons. It’s about developing the real-life skills kids need to thrive.

➡️ Watch the TEDx Talk that inspired this post - LINK IN BIO.