As a proud native, I can say with all surety that the state of Louisiana has a lot more to offer than just Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street (although those two things are kind of awesome in their own right). For instance, Gamepolitics reports that 24 students in the Zachary Community School District, along with another group in the Lafayette area, participated in a project to learn about video game design. The bill for the program was footed by 3D Squared, a non-profit with a focus on the "digital workforce". From their website:

"With 97% of teenagers playing, games are the future of learning, work and human collaboration. "

It's nice to hear something positive for a change, isn't it? You can read more about the project over at the 2theadvocate website. As the kids have worked on their projects, they've been able to receive feedback from game industry professionals as well. Here comes the Louisiana in-joke: they've designed a game called Whac-A-Nutria that's based on Whac-A-Mole, but of course, with the furry rats that one grows accustomed to seeing if you've grown up in Louisiana. My home state is awesome!

[Photo via 2theadvocate]