Making video games, receiving career guidance, When Building connections that last a lifetime: All of these aspirations are a reality for students at Gameheads, a non-profit organization that provides education, resources, and mentorship for the young people who create the next generation of video games.
Despite progress toward better representation in the gaming industry, young people of color and young people from low-income backgrounds often lack the resources and connections to pursue careers in the gaming industry. many roads remain untraceable. Executive his director Damon Packwood co-founded his Gameheads in his hometown of Oakland to solve this problem.
Gameheads’ program combines video game design and development, education and career counseling, industry exposure, and hands-on training. In one year, the student will learn all aspects of video game development, including coding, design, project management, and teamwork. These skills are invaluable not only for working in the video game industry, but for careers in many different fields. Upon completion of the program, students will have a finished game or prototype to include in their professional portfolio and a mentor who can guide them through their journey in the games industry.
And Gameheads’ method has been successful. Many of Gameheads’ students have paid internships or jobs at well-known video game studios. There are also several projects created from Gameheads, such as a stealth platformer. Camino — Will be available for purchase in 2023.
Last year, Xbox Publishing (the team that works with independent development studios to release first-party Xbox games) announced that Gameheads would invest in resources for transgender, queer, and other gender minority students of color. donated $100,000 to help These funds will allow Gameheads to expand its offerings and reach even more young women, women and youth of all genders. Women of color and her LGBTQIA+ people of color are so underrepresented across the gaming industry that Gameheads’ goal is to ensure that these cohorts of young people have both short- and long-term career opportunities. Make sure you get the support you need to succeed in .
Executive Director Damon Packwood said as part of Gameheads’ commitment to inclusion, the team hired a full-time program manager to focus on this new initiative and focus on the care of transgender and queer youth of color. I explained that I would hire a specialist therapist.
This is just the beginning of a long and deep relationship between Gameheads and Xbox. The Xbox publishing team alone now includes Gameheads alumni (narrative designer Casey Ramos) and his longtime mentor and board member (design director Marcus Montgomery). They believe team collaboration is best because of their focus on empowering students to achieve their creative ambitions, not just their career goals.
If you’re interested in helping Gameheads realize its vision for a more inclusive gaming industry, visit Gameheads. twitter When website Check here for information on upcoming student games. Xbox gamers can also help in the following ways: Donate Rewards points to Gameheads.
