About the Game

Where the Concept Came From

This game was born from personal frustration.

While helping my niece find a safe and supportive middle school in rural North Carolina—where she's a minority as a young Black girl—we faced an uphill battle. Her public school district had just closed several middle schools and merged them into one overcrowded school. There were no charter or private school options available locally. And when we looked into sending her to a neighboring public school district with stronger programs and better support, we were shocked to learn that my sister would have to pay tuition—just for her child to attend another public school within driving distance.

In a state that claims to offer "free public education," we were being asked to pay to access a quality school. Meanwhile, families using school vouchers had options for charter or private schools within the same county—even though those schools were charging fees while operating with public funds. The contradictions were painful and exhausting.

North Carolina is one of the few states where public schools can charge tuition for out-of-district students—even though teachers frequently live in more affordable counties and teach across district lines for higher pay, often gaining waivers so their own children don't have to pay those same tuition fees. The system isn't broken. It's working exactly as it was designed—just not for families like mine.

What's the Goal of the Game?

The goal isn't to "win." It's to understand what navigating school choice really looks like for Black and Brown families in North Carolina.

As a player, you step into the shoes of a newly relocated family. Your income, job, family size, and city are all randomized—and you're immediately tasked with figuring out where to send your child to school. You'll evaluate zoned public schools, limited charter school options (if any), private schools with high tuition, and district transfer policies that often penalize working-class families for trying to access better education.

You'll make decisions based on:

• Your child's needs (IEPs, disabilities, academic challenges)
• Your job schedule and transportation options
• Whether you can afford the tuition—not for private school, but just to access a better public one

At every turn, you'll face the real dilemmas that families across North Carolina encounter every year.

Why This Game Matters

Choose Wisely isn't just a simulation. It's a storytelling tool and a systems critique based on lived experience and real data. It shows how inequities in school funding, district zoning, tuition policies, and transportation access all collide to create impossible choices for families—especially those in rural, low-income, or Black and Brown communities.

It challenges the idea that "school choice" is equally available to everyone. It asks:

What if we lived in a North Carolina where quality education wasn't a gamble, but a guarantee—no matter your zip code or income?

This game was created to spark empathy, fuel conversations, and push toward policy changes that center families—not systems.