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Bringing Game Developers into NYC school classrooms with GameU

GameU
October 18, 2024

A Summer Design Institute initiative by Thomas A. Edison CTE High School

Watch the below video to hear directly from high school students taking GameU video game design courses and video game coding courses. Delivered as part of Thomas A. Edison CTE High School’s Summer Design Institute, the school hosted students from across three high schools to learn from professional video game designers and coders. View the video below: 

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Students unlock game design skills in hands-on workshop with GameU

“For the duration of the program, we've learned the basics of Unity [a program for designing 2D and 3D scenes and landscapes in games and apps] and overall coding for C# [a common general-purpose programming language],” said Jayron Salazar, a Junior at Thomas Edison. 

In the six week Hybrid + Program, Jayron was one of many students who was able to create his own video game with no prior experience. 

“We learned how to input game movements and how to do things like camera following the character,” ” added Jayron. We [also] learned how to animate coins and other collectibles.”

Jayron wasn’t the only student who enjoyed their experience, while also gaining valuable skills from the workshop. 

“You don't have to [just] want or like games or video games to be a part of this program,” said Selena Zou, a Brooklyn Technical High School graduate who specializes in software engineering. “You just need to evaluate if you like skill sets [such as] coding in C#, 3D-modeling, animation.” 

Selena lists just a few skills that GameU’s industry professionals teach the students through Game Design. 

Although each student created their own personal game, the workshop encouraged students to work as a group to help build skills, such as problem solving, communication, and brainstorming. 

“We sometimes do group work to think of stuff and brainstorm,” said Owen Lin, a Brooklyn Technical Senior who is studying Software Engineering. “We come with ideas of what games you can make in the future, how you create it and… stuff to help you prepare for the future if you want to create games.”

The future of game design is truly bright for those who wish to enter it. Research conducted by recruiter.com shows an average annual growth rate of 5.31% for Game Designer Job listings since 2019.

About Thomas Edison

Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Education High School is a distinctive school that provides robust academic and career technical education programs, equipping students with skills for college and their career. The mission of Thomas A. Edison CTE is to cultivate the leaders of tomorrow by preparing students through academic, technical, civic, and workforce challenges of the twenty-first century.

Learn more 

About GameU

GameU is a leading provider of premium online video game design courses, which teach students the skills they need to succeed in the video game industry. With curriculums crafted and taught by education experts and professional game developers, GameU virtually delivers a wide range of programs across three main avenues: 

  • For schools and districts: Built for specifically for K-12 school environments, GameU’s Hybrid+ Program transform students’ love of gaming into valuable STEAM skills with a blend of live instruction, on-demand learning and 1-to-1 training for in-classroom educators
  • All Abilities: Private one-to-one classes, tailored to each students’ needs, including neurologically diverse individuals
  • On-demand: Access to recorded classes, curriculum and game design software via Orbit, GameU’s Self-Guided Learning Platform 

GameU provides a comprehensive learning experience that includes both live instruction and self-paced study. GameU is dedicated to empowering students and educators alike, helping them stay ahead of industry trends, to prepare them for the future of game development.

For more information, visit game-u.com

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