Urban Arts is the premier nonprofit teaching game đź‘ľ design as a pathway to college and career for underrepresented students from low-income communities.
We provide top-tier college-access services and ensure our students earn the maximum in scholarships—$25M since 2017. We connect our students and alumni to mentorships and internships at leading media and technology companies, generating a new and diverse talent pipeline.
We’ve been single-mindedly creating this diverse talent pipeline with a coherent, linear strategy, through free game design programs:
IN MIDDLE SCHOOL We partner with Minecraft Education for our Creative Coders program for middle schoolers, securing the very students who self-select out of CS first,
IN HIGH SCHOOL Disseminating Game On, our custom curriculum for Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles (AP CSP), free to high schools throughout the country. Game On is newly approved by the College Board this May 2024!
IN COLLEGE Our college access program ensures that 100% of our advanced students in our NYC after-school program matriculate to college. They’ve earned $25 Million in scholarships since 2017,
IN COLLEGE We created Gaming Pathways, the first public-option, 4-year Digital Game Design degree with CCNY so our students can access Tech Without Debt,
CAREER We grow mentorships and internships for our students and alumni through our powerful partnerships in tech, entertainment and media. This exposure and access allows for networking and first-job placements.
Urban Arts is national—in 10 states and growing. As governments mandate CS instruction, we’re already there with effective, engaging curricula and intensive teacher training. With rapid advancements in technology, students from low-income communities are at the greatest risk of being left behind—lacking an accessible pathway to high-paying jobs and careers.
The U.S. tech industry has an estimated market value of $1.6 Trillion. In New York, the digital games industry is directly responsible for 4,600 jobs, $489 Million in wages, and nearly $2 Billion in economic output. Business of this scale should look like all of us. Attracting a skilled, diverse and inclusive workforce is both an industry priority and an equity imperative.
We’re full STEAM ahead.
Providing underrepresented students with the tools to learn real-time 3D programming and the economic opportunity that comes with those skills, is at the core of Unity’s social impact mission. We know that technical skills are being required for the jobs of today and even more so the jobs of tomorrow. We are proud to consider Urban Arts a partner in our efforts to equip youth with a strong foundation for their careers.
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