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The 3 Zones of Choice are the “Final Evolution” of genU GAMER! They’re the result of your feedback and suggestions, and they’re designed to give you more choice and control.
Below we’ve outlined some key information about the Zones and the improvements we’re making to GAMER.
If you have any questions at all about what the 3 Zones of Choice mean for you, please speak to your facilitators and they will be more than happy to assist you.
What are the key changes?
- From 11th July 2022, if you attend genU GAMER in Geelong you will be automatically assigned a Zone based on the activities you are currently signed up to.
- At the start of every year (beginning 2023), you will re-sign up for GAMER and review your goals with the program.
- From July 2022, there will be a 6-month commitment to Sapphire and Onyx.
About the 3 Zones of Choice
Emerald
The zone focused on socialisation.
In Emerald, you can pick almost any activity that GAMER offers during the session time you attend. If you are currently attending console gaming, board gaming, or hobby art, you are doing Emerald activities.
The only activity that we don’t offer in Emerald is Dungeons & Dragons/RPG — you will need to access this via one of the other zones.
Sapphire
The zone focused on YOU and what you want to achieve.
Sapphire is the zone for long-term Dungeons & Dragons/RPG campaigns with the same character and journey.
Over a period of 6 months (terms 3 & 4 of 2022), you will take your character from level 0 to level 20.
If you are currently attending Applied RPG or Applied Content Creation, you are already doing Sapphire activities.
Onyx
The zone focused on building a community
Onyx is about applying what you’ve achieved in the other two zones and start to apply them in a community context.
It’s in this zone that we will teach you to become a Game Master, and you’ll build up your skills until you’re ready to run a one shot in the community.
If you’re attending Applied Game Mastering, you are already doing an Onyx activity.
Extra Sessions Available
Exciting news: we’re extending our after-hours school session times to 7.30pm to those who want it – an extra hour of gaming goodness!
We’re also taking enrolments for the following sessions:
- Emerald: Applied Gaming for Ages 18+ | Monday to Friday, 4.30pm–7.30pm
- Emerald: Applied Gaming for Youth Aged 12-17 | Saturday, 9am–12pm and 1pm–4pm
- Sapphire: Applied RPG for Youth Aged 12-17 | Saturday, 9am–12pm and 1pm–4pm
If you’re interested in enrolling for any of these sessions, please reach out to your facilitator or contact the genU Intake team on 1300 558 368 or contact@genu.org.au
Frequently Asked Questions
Why have you changed your program to introduce the 3 Zones of Choice?
The change was made for three big reasons:
- So that it is easier for you to choose and control the activities and outcomes you want. You are not limited to being in only one Zone at a time.
- So that working on your chosen goals is easier and way more fun! Working through the zones is at your pace.
- So that your progression, and how it benefits you, can be easier to see.
Can I access more than one zone at a time?
Yes! It is more than cool to attend multiple programs in one, two or all three zones.
Why do you require a 6-month commitment to enrol in Sapphire or Onyx?
Because one term is not enough to see your character finish a campaign or for you to finish your awesome projects! You told us it wasn’t, and we agree with you.
Now you don’t need to rush or worry about finishing a campaign or project ever again. With two terms, you will have the time you need, and you know that those doing the program alongside you have committed to it as well.
What if I join GAMER in Term 4, can I still join Sapphire or Onyx? Can I still join a long-term RPG campaign?
It is possible to start a Sapphire or Onyx program at the beginning of term 2 or term 4, but only if there are three other people looking to start it as well.
What this means is that when you tell us you want to start a program in these zones, your name goes on an “Expression of Interest” list. As soon as we get three other people that are your peers on that list as well, we will start the new program sessions as of the start of the next term.
The reason we must do this is so we can keep our promises and make sure we deliver exactly what you asked for. This does not mean that you can’t come to GAMER while you wait though! Entry into an Emerald program is usually much faster. If you want a wide range of fun and social activities to do while you wait for your Sapphire or Onyx program to start, we will work hard to find you a space in Emerald ASAP.
Why do I have to re-enrol in GAMER at the beginning of every year?
First thing to remember: re-enrolling does not mean there is any change or that you lose your spot at GAMER.
We need everyone to re-enrol each year to let us know what they want and need for the year. We can then make the session groups accordingly. This may mean that your session times may change from year to year, but we will discuss that with you well ahead of time.
Without asking people to re-enrol each year, and simply rolling over programs to the next year (which is what has been done in the past), people drop out of groups, making them harder to manage. We are implementing re-enrolling because we have promised to make everyone’s time at GAMER as beneficial, consistent, and valuable as possible.
Will there be any further changes to GAMER?
In terms of the GAMER structure? No more change! We are just as tired from the changes COVID forced on us as you are. That is why we listened to everything you had to say before we put the 3 Zones of Choice in place. We wanted to have a solid system that would see us through the next few years of growth for GAMER.
Regarding programs, there will be more choices in the future as we create new options, but we won’t change the types of programs we have now.
The only changes we will make in the future will be as a result of extensive planning, consultation and feedback from you.
Will there be any changes to funding at GAMER?
The below is only relevant if you are NDIS funded and you are doing any activities in the Sapphire or Onyx Zones.
The charges for GAMER will not change until your plan is next up for review. At this time GAMER will be asking the NDIS to provide an extra 15 minutes of non-face to face funding to your plan per session (in Sapphire or Onyx).
These programs require extra staff preparation time each week. One of the things GAMER staff do for RPG sessions, and for any Sapphire and Onyx programs, is spend an extra hour per session creating the adventures and other activities needed for these programs. This is not a simple task and requires advanced skills. The NDIA has worked with us to set up the ability to claim for this vital work, which assists us to continue to provide quality programs.