Dr. Amy Patterson of Urban Arts and Ellen Flaherty of Unity amplify the transformative impact of Computer Science (CS) through game development in a CSEdWeek OpEd (December 9-13, 2024). This piece spotlights how game design initiatives are changing the trajectory for K-12 students nationwide. Together, they showcase real student journeys—from high school to college to career—highlighting voices from across Computer Science pathways.

A dog skateboarding through NYC. A shark shooting lasers from its head. A cat on a dating game.

These digital games can be both fun to play—and a critical way to build student interest in computer science.

Students often assume that computer science is about abstract concepts and linear tasks disconnected from their world. But the subject is inherently creative and very much connected to their interests. 

Designing solutions, creating new technologies, and using computational thinking are innovative ways to solve problems by using computer science. From Ada Lovelace’s first algorithm to Alan Turing’s abstract concept of computation, the field would not exist without creativity, a trait that still thrives today through immersive and innovative projects and technologies.

Computer Science Education Week, held December 9-13, 2024, is a national opportunity for teachers, students, and families to celebrate computer science, advocate for equity within the field, and look to the future. As women in game development education, we find digital game design brings comp-sci creativity to life in dynamic, interactive ways that speak to diverse groups of students. This is important because while 27% of computing roles in the U.S. market are held by women, just 3% and 2% are held by African American and Hispanic American/Latina women respectively, according to Accenture.

In our work at Urban Arts, a nonprofit that teaches digital game design as a pathway to college and career for underrepresented students, and at Unity, the leading platform for creating and operating interactive, real-time 3D content, we know that tapping into the power of play leads to deep learning. Game creation ignites a new generation of creators across all STEM fields. 

Kimari Rennis knows firsthand. Studying computer science through game design—and, yes, creating a skateboarding corgi—opened up new and exciting worlds for her. As a high school student in 2018, Kimari joined Urban Arts’ free, multi-year program—a program that includes intensive game design courses, a free college access and readiness program (where students have earned $25M in college scholarships through these services), and mentorship opportunities. In the after-school setting, Kimari  was able to use industry-leading tools like Unity 3D engine to create her own video games. Kimari leveled up from player to creator while building comp-sci know-how in an environment that focuses on jobs of the future—jobs that will emerge in the next five to ten years. Kimari, for example, went on to graduate from New York University and landed a job at Lucasfilm Games. 

Kimari’s former classmates from Urban Arts have also pursued careers ranging from engineering and robotics to neuroscience and fashion technologies. Sarah Applebaum completed the same after-school program in game design, and she explains: “I am convinced that decision changed the course of my life.” Her award-winning games and collaboration with teammates “massively improved my skills and boosted my confidence.” Afterwards, she studied Information Technology with minors in Business and Music Technology at Rutgers University—all while serving as a teaching assistant at Urban Arts to bring her passion for game development to younger students. Post-graduation, Sarah was offered a role in content development at Unity, using the same platform of tools she once studied to help others create immersive and interactive real-time 3D apps and experiences across multiple platforms.

At Urban Arts and Unity, we are already looking to the future of creative technology so our future Kamari and Sarah’s will also find success. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, careers in computer and information technology are projected to grow 11% from 2019 to 2029, faster than the average for all occupations. Meanwhile, a 2021 Amazon Future Engineer/Gallup Student Study found that 62% of US students in grades 5–12 are interested in learning computer science, but only half have taken a course. By creating connections to game design for students underrepresented in tech fields, it’s possible to open doors to even more careers in STEM that they might not have considered otherwise. 

Bringing evidence-based opportunities from after-school environments into the classroom is an important next step. Game On, Urban Arts’ innovative custom curriculum to teach Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) through game design, has recently been endorsed by the College Board and is the only endorsed curriculum powered by Unity’s world-leading platform of tools. Developed by working closely with teachers, students, and game developers to create a fun, rigorous, and culturally-responsive curriculum, Game On is flourishing in classrooms across ten states—and continues to grow. Independent evaluators find that game design through Urban Arts creates a high level of engagement for their students in CS, and 100% of Game On teachers report feeling more confident with curricular AP Computer Science content through game design. Game design pathways allow students to see themselves in STEM careers. 

One of those students is Mabel Inoa Mejia, who moved to the U.S. when she was 10. “When I first heard about Urban Arts, I was intrigued because I had never really thought about what goes into making games, or that it was possible for a Hispanic woman to go into this field,” she says. As Mabel progressed through learning computer science and game design, she even served as Creative Director of her own game studio at Urban Arts. The urge to program in C#, the language used with Unity, was new to her: “I would code for hours and never get bored.” Now, Mabel studies Computer Science at Fordham University and recently interned at Salesforce.

Early experiences in game creation allow students of any age to see their own potential in technology fields. Ultimately, this creates a more inclusive, diverse, and creative workforce—not only beneficial for the tech industry, but for all of society. Albert Einstein once said “creativity is intelligence having fun.” Without creativity, computer science loses its spark. Let’s encourage our future creative technologists this #CSEdWeek.