Celebrating its 18th year, the Serious Play Conference 2025 is North America’s largest dedicated games and learning conference. Under a new leadership team, the event is a must-attend for anyone interested in the transformative power of games and play. With over 80 sessions and 120+ speakers, the conference covers everything from game development to education, and from healthcare to heritage. Whether you’re looking to level-up your professional skills, connect with experts, or just have fun, there’s something for everyone. Experience hands-on workshops, panels, talks, networking opportunities, and the chance to play innovative games including XR, VR, and AR.

This year’s theme is to "explore how the power of play, games and gamification are transforming education, training, and knowledge mobilization. This is where learning and innovation come to play."

ITP Faculty member and alum Sharon De La Cruz is leading a session titled Adventures in TTRPG: Building Learning World with Dice, Devices, and Dialogue.

The talk is taking place on 13th Aug 2025 ∙ 12:00-1:00. Click here for more information on the conference and registration.

Sharon De La Cruz is a storyteller, educator, and activist from New York City whose work lies at the intersection of STEM pedagogy, art, and social justice. Her passion for storytelling, particularly through comics, led her to the Tin House Summer Workshop, where she developed her debut graphic memoir, I’m a Wild Seed (Street Noise, April 2021). Praised by Kirkus Reviews as a “potent graphic memoir about the forming of one woman’s queer identity” that captures “both the fears and joys of discovering one’s marginalized identity,” and by Publisher’s Weekly for its “wit and exuberance” as a “limber, playful debut collection,” the book has established her as a compelling new voice in the medium. De La Cruz holds a master’s degree from NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program and has been recognized with a Fulbright Fellowship, a Processing Foundation Fellowship, a TED Residency, and a 2021-22 Red Burns Teaching Fellowship at ITP-NYU. She currently serves as an Assistant Arts Professor at ITP-NYU.