Puzzles have been proven to exercise the brain, improve memory, elevate IQ, increase productivity, and boost mood. IEEE Puzzlers was created by volunteers to offer a fun, engaging virtual experience for those who enjoy solving brainteasers such as missing numbers and logic games—at varying levels of difficulty.
Celebrating its one-year anniversary this month, the Puzzlers program is accessible to members and non-members on IEEE Collabratec.
“We launched a new program in IEEE without precedence in novelty or scale,” says John Day, director of IEEE Member Products and Programs. “The entire team exhibited impressive agility and impact for an organization the size and complexity of IEEE.”
What began as a whimsical initiative snowballed into a movement, with more than 3,000 participants to date.
People who correctly solve the brainteasers can receive badges and recognition on the website. There are several types of badges, based on how many puzzles users solve. A badge is awarded when participants solve 7, 15, 30, 50, and 75 puzzles. New badges are slated to be released later this year.
IEEE Student Member Melissa Akiki, a logic game creator, says she wanted to create a “non-math puzzle genre” for brainteaser lovers who would rather not solve mathematics-related puzzles.
“The experience in general has been very rewarding,” Akiki says, “and the team was wonderful, always open to new ideas.”
IEEE Puzzlers collaborates with a number of IEEE programs and operating units, including Women in Engineering, to create games and contests. Puzzlers ran a contest in April with IEEE Educational Activities in honor of Education Week. People were challenged to solve a new puzzle every day. If they succeeded, they got a chance to win a prize.
Teachers have used the program’s brainteasers in class as warmups and icebreakers for students.
If you are interested in collaborating with IEEE Puzzlers, email puzzlers@ieee.org.
Natalie Apadula is a marketing specialist in IEEE’s corporate sector and new markets department.
