In that same year, Salen started writing for RES Magazine, which focuses on film, design, culture, art and music;[7] She continued as a contributor until 2006.

Also in 2003, Salen worked as part of a research team to create and design an interactive, animated storytelling experience that was to be distributed through Xbox Live!

Salen was also involved in 2005 as a game design consultant with The Rapunzel Project to teach girls computer code.

From 2004–2006, Mememe Productions in Melbourne, Australia, had Salen design a game for a children's television show and for their online community site, while from 2005-2006 she worked on the ISEA2006 Symposium in San Jose, California.

[8] The project transformed an ice cream truck into a mobile karaoke unit which roamed the streets of San Jose, California, inviting people towards it with free popsicles.

All residents were encouraged to participate in the race, the goal of which was to move a 25-foot high inflatable game piece through a route throughout the Twin Cities, hitting several "checkpoints."

Salen created this game to engage a large community with culture and with each other, in an effort to make the residents more aware of urban design.

[9][10] Waking Life Salen worked as an animator for this critically acclaimed feature film, directed by Richard Linklater.

[13] Institute of Play also produced the video game design lab GlassLab, which is developing game-based assessments in partnership with Electronic Arts and Entertainment Software Foundation.

Quest to Learn (Q2L) Salen is a designer of Quest to Learn,[15] a public school in Manhattan, New York City created out of a collaboration between Institute of Play and the New York City Department of Education, with backing from the MacArthur Foundation and support from New Visions for Public Schools.

The school encourages hands-on problem solving,[16] and is designed to promote learning of 21st Century Skills many experts say are necessary for college and career success, such as systems thinking, collaboration, and digital literacy.

[15][17] Embodied play One of Salen's current projects is a collaboration with David Birchfield and Mina Glenberg-Johnson from Arizona State University.