Lucien Vattel nearly failed chemistry.

A gifted student, Vattel struggled completing the assignments associated with his advanced placement high school chemistry course. Threatened with the possibility of failing, Lucien suggested that he understood the material so well, that he could effectively build a laser—from scratch. In a daring show of confidence, Vattel set off to accomplish the difficult task as a promise to his teacher, and more importantly, to himself.

Twenty years later, Vattel is setting out to accomplish yet another audacious goal, one with much higher stakes and rewards that could prove a game-changer.

“We have two years to start 6th grade”, says Vattel, sitting in the modern loft space which houses his education think tank Game Desk. “We want to create a charter that is a living, learning laboratory."

What started as a small project run out of then Professor Vattel’s University of Southern California office has now attracted the support of, among others, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Motorola Foundation.

“Games, movies, and online and social media mean a great deal to this new generation," he says. "It's the fabric of their lives. So it's our responsibility integrate critical academic content into fun, intuitive, and relevant experiences."

Vattel sought ways to relate curriculum to real life after seeing middle school students disengaged from learning. He believes digital games and media technologies have the power to engage and motivate students.

“When we finished the laser, my world opened up,” he says. “I didn't see myself as someone who could ever do anything like that. It wasn't in my realm of possibilities at the time. Science and math in the textbook or on the blackboard didn't appeal to me but when I developed something, I was engaged”.

The promise Vattel made to himself has turned into a promise to a new generation of students. His next challenge is bringing the right collaborators together to make his dream a reality.