In a press release today, Wizards of the Coast detailed its plan to aid classrooms through a partnership with AdoptAClassroom.org. Through an application on the AdoptAClassroom website, teachers can apply to receive one of 200 $100 rewards to pay for expenses in 4-12 grade classrooms. Winners also receive an official D&D library, including:

  • Player’s Handbook
  • Dungeon Master’s Guide
  • Monster Manual
  • Candlekeep Mysteries
  • D&D Essentials Kit
  • D&D Campaign Cases – both Creatures and Terrain
  • D&D Afterschool Club Kit, including a copy of D&D Starter Set: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
  • Scottmc@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    It’s okay to be both.

    1. $100 would cover a ton a basic supplies for a classroom and you clearly don’t have kids if you don’t think so. I buy supplies for teachers all the time and $100 covers plenty.

    2. Yea, it’s also an attempt to drum up more business for them but they are a business. Why are we expecting pure benevolence from a corporation?

    Do you also think rich white dudes who built libraries and universities in the 20th century did it benevolently? No. But we still appreciate the outcome.

      • meyotch
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        9 months ago

        Yes, that is a good topic to introduce. These things don’t just happen. Small powerful groups of people take it upon themselves to keep things the way they want them.

        • Salamendacious@lemmy.worldOP
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          9 months ago

          That’s not exactly how I read that article. Carnegie wasn’t some saint but he could have piled his money up and sat on it if he wanted to. Adjusted for inflation he donated almost $6 billion dollars to charities and argued with the powered wealthy elite in America that it was their moral obligation to give their money to charity. He directed his money definitely and it could be argued that his money could be spent more effectively in other ways but if the options are Carnegie sits on his money or he donates how he wants then I think the latter is the better option (or the least worse option). Government wasn’t interested in building libraries and Carnegie built over 2,500 of them in the US but also throughout Europe, South Africa, Barbados, Australia, and New Zealand. Carnegie was a bastard businessman, people died at the Homestead strike he’s a grade-A bastard. But he’s a bastard that built libraries that otherwise wouldn’t have been built. It would have been better if his workers were protected and his wealth taxed and spent responsibility but that wasn’t in the cards at that time. It feels like it isn’t in the cards today either. But I’d be happier, or less angry, if Bezos or Musk spent their money on charity rather than low orbit space tourism and Twitter.

          • meyotch
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            9 months ago

            I can’t disagree with your take at all. It is a very multifaceted issue

            • Salamendacious@lemmy.worldOP
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              9 months ago

              I’m not going to lie I nearly didn’t write that word salad up ( I apologize for not making paragraphs) because I thought I was going to get. “Lol whatever bootlicker” as a reply. +1 hero point to you

              • meyotch
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                9 months ago

                Well my response was pretty glib and painted with a very broad brush. You used a finer brush to paint your picture.

                Frankly, I think both views have merit. There were good results from patronage of the rich, but I hate seeing them used as justification for the continued deification of the rich.

                • Salamendacious@lemmy.worldOP
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                  9 months ago

                  There’s just too much hero worship in American society in general. We go ga-ga for the rich, the beautiful, athletes, actors, musicians, etc. It can be frustrating. Here’s to hoping it isn’t always like this. Who knows maybe someday large amounts of people will watch hours long lectures on ethical philosophy, historiography, physics, etc instead of baseball, football, and basketball. Most Americans can’t name their senators or their governor but can tell you the name of some obscure athlete from two decades ago.

  • PJ_TA@lemmynsfw.com
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    9 months ago

    If this starts trending in mainstream news, what are the chances of another satanic scare over this game happening again from the far right?

    • Salamendacious@lemmy.worldOP
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      9 months ago

      Maybe but all those DND players from the original 70s and 80s scare are adults now I don’t think it would have the same traction.

    • dumples@kbin.social
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      9 months ago

      Only if people looking at Pathfinder. It’s more queer which is terrifying to right wingers. So I give it like 10% chance and up up 25% if paizo gets in on the game

  • Rodeo@lemmy.ca
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    9 months ago

    Wow, $100! That’s almost 3 whole seconds worth of revenue for them!

    Plus they’re plugging their products into the lives of kidsz who will then grow up with their products and be more likely to purchase them as adults.

    Don’t be fooled into thinking this is an act of benevolence. This is marketing through and through.

    • Salamendacious@lemmy.worldOP
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      9 months ago

      Apple did the same thing with computers in schools and Google’s doing the same thing with Chromebooks right now. I honestly thought this is more of a PR thing to help their image. I don’t think 200 schools just is enough to actually move the needle. This could be a pilot program though. I have a hard time seeing how this could be used in the actual classroom. As an elective definitely but I don’t see history teachers using DND and having to write a lesson plan around it and all the accomodation paperwork for anyone with an IEP. Some teachers already find that stuff a pain in the butt for traditional lesson plans. Who knows though it could happen.