Birmingham will be the stage for intellectual competitions over the next three days through an event that showcases the city as an innovative tech hub where young people can develop their careers.

The Penny Games, hosted by The Penny Foundation and partnering organizations, will feature debates among teams from seven historically Black colleges and universities, esports competitions and a college and career fair for area high school students. Several events Thursday and Friday will be open to the public.

“Birmingham has a rich civil rights legacy and a growing innovation economy,” said Elbi Elm, director of communications and philanthropy for The Penny Foundation, a Birmingham-based nonprofit that works to eliminate economic inequality by connecting people, organizations and resources through the lens of technology and innovation. “Hosting the Penny Games signals that our city is investing in next-gen talent — connecting HBCU excellence with local opportunity, supporting workforce development, and strengthening talent retention.”

 Debate Focuses on Effects of AI

During several rounds of debate, teams of two will face off over the resolution: “The impact of AI on Gen Z and Gen Alpha will have an adverse effect on their economic landscape.” A digital coin toss will determine which team gets to decide whether it will argue in favor of or against the resolution.

“This topic challenges students to grapple with urgent questions about technology, the future of work and economic mobility,” Elm said.

“Debate builds critical thinking, media literacy and civil discourse — skills that are essential in today’s environment,” she said.

Participating debate teams hail from Howard, Hampton, Tennessee State, Alabama A&M and Wiley universities and from Spelman, Morehouse, Livingstone and Miles colleges.

The foundation will hold initial debate rounds Thursday at six Birmingham City Schools in partnership with Impact America’s SpeakFirst initiative, which engages high school students in competitive debate. The Penny Games will give them the opportunity to witness college level debate, Elm said.

Debate experts and community leaders will judge preliminary debates as well as the final round, which will take place Friday morning at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex.

Esports as Career Builders and Generational Bridges

 Penny Foundation partner Cxmmunity Foundation, a nonprofit focused on increasing access for diverse communities to digital entertainment industries, held preliminary esports rounds that whittled 60 competitors to 12 from Southern University, Texas Southern University, Talladega College, Savannah State University and Morehouse College, Elm said.

Esports are organized, competitive video game tournaments in which individuals or teams compete and attract live as well as online audiences. Elm said several HBCUs have varsity or club teams.

 On Thursday, individuals will compete in three games of Super Smash Bros. at Miles College, and they’ll play three final games Friday at TopGolf Birmingham. Friday’s games will be streamed on Twitch and broadcast on screens throughout the TopGolf facility, and the public can attend for free, Elm said.

 Elm said esports are intellectual games because they involve strategy and tech knowledge.

“They’re really using their brains to compete against each other,” Elm said. “And we wanted to kind of highlight that.”

She added that skills gained through high-level game playing also can translate to job skills in many industries.

Older generations often don’t understand members of Gen Z and Gen Alpha because of the different times in which they grew up, Elm said, and showcasing esports can build a bridge.

“It’s just kind of an opportunity to show the older generation something new,” Elm said. “And then a way to connect this generation and letting them know that we see you and what you’re doing is really cool, and it is competition, and it is intellectual, and you do have to know what you’re doing and know what you’re talking about to get it done.”

Fair and Esports Finals

Thursday’s college and career fair, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at TopGolf, is open to Birmingham City Schools students, their families, college students and the broader community.

Elm said attendees can meet HBCU recruiters, talk with area employers and learn about scholarships, majors and career pathways.

In addition to showing high school and college students how participating in debate and esports can segue into careers in business, tech and communications, an aim of all the events is to illustrate to students that Birmingham is a place where they can have a full career, Elm said.

The Penny Games evolved from last year’s Southern Scholars Debate Classic, which included a debate between two college teams and a career-prep event, Elm said. The Penny Foundation intends for the Penny Games to be an annual event that will continue to grow, she said, with additional intellectual games possibly including chess and golf.