The YMCA of San Francisco has chosen Dizzzywood, a virtual world designed for children between ages 8-12, to enhance its youth program technology curriculum.

In Dizzywood, players can create, customize, and name a character to explore an enchanted wood. Players can co-operate with others to solve the mysteries of the wood, and can earn rewards, such as items, achievement badges, e-motes, and powers for successful completion of events, or they can just relax and chat with friends, take part in games and explore.

The YMCA is using Dizzywood's virtual environment to reinforce its program emphasis on activities promoting values such as caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. Children also learn about issues relating to virtual worlds through Dizzywood, such as digital citizenship and online safety. Storytelling and team-building exercises are provided to emphasize creativity, writing, and reading skills, as well as working together to achieve goals.

The program is similar to an elementary school program that Dizzywood completed with the Reed Union School district, in which an interactive workshop used activities to reinforce the school's character pillars and core values.

Said YMCA San Francisco's senior director of community environment Troy O'Leary: “Our goal at the YMCA is to provide children with educational activities that challenge them to learn new skills, develop self-confidence and to ultimately help them be successful in the world. Dizzywood’s unique virtual environment offers our kids a wonderful environment in which they can learn important lessons through activities that require thoughtful decision-making. We hope the success of this program offers a model for other youth programs to follow.”