The North Carolina State Board of Education members said Wednesday that they still have reservations about a state pilot program that gives grants to a company that uses a video game to teach kids science, technology, engineering and math concepts.
Plasma Games develops a science-fiction-themed video game to teach students concepts like chemistry. Since 2021, the General Assembly has allotted more than $7 million for grants that schools could use to access the game and other STEM-based resources. As WUNC has reported, the program was created in the state budget process — not as a standalone law — and the company never bid for a state contract.
But annual reports from the Department of Public Instruction have questioned the program’s efficacy and whether schools are using it. The latest report found that there were more school districts that chose not to reapply for the grant this year than there were new districts applying for it. There have been 21 school districts using the platform in the 2024-25 school year, down from 29 last school year.
“I think the number of districts that are not reapplying should signal to us that there’s something going on around how we ensure, or do what we can at this level, that the use of these funds is actually making a difference — or just saying it’s not,” board member Catty Moore said.
The report also found only 64% of the anticipated students were using the program, and that the total funding requests since 2022 were nearly $1.8 million less than what was allocated.
“I think in past occasions, this board has expressed reservations that this is not an effective program for our students and that perhaps we could put these valuable resources to some different uses,” board member Alan Duncan said. “That’s been said more than once from this table.”
Anecdotal feedback in the report showed teachers believed the game increased student engagement and that the program was easy to learn. But they were unable to link the program to any specific academic outcomes, and some reported finding it difficult to figure out how to best ensure the program aligned with course standards.
In an emailed statement to WFAE, Plasma Games CEO Hunter Moore said the company was encouraged by the percentage of students using the platform and argued usage was likely higher, with educators often using printable resources and working with Plasma Games on services outside the scope of the grant program. Those services, Moore argued, wouldn’t be reflected in state data.
He also cited two studies through Eastern Carolina University and North Carolina State University that found usage of the program resulted in increases in STEM knowledge and awareness of STEM-related careers.
“At Plasma Games, our mission is to empower teachers and inspire students through relevant and engaging science learning,” Moore said. “We’re committed to supporting districts year-round with ongoing professional development and tailored assistance, always striving to make teachers’ work easier and to elevate the important role they play.”
Past news reports have pointed to Plasma Games’ ties to the North Carolina Republican Party, which controls the General Assembly. WUNC reported last year that Moore donated more than $40,000 to the North Carolina GOP and the North Carolina Republican Senate Caucus around the same time Plasma received state funding. And the News & Observer reported the wife of state Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby has been listed as an investor.
The company has previously denied any impropriety, and Moore previously told WUNC, “Any donations that I have made have nothing to do with our business.”
