Urban Arts Color Ball 2026: A Million Dollar Night
At Urban Arts’ Color Ball April 30th, four extraordinary young people took the stage—and owned it. Their powerful stories and remarkable achievements received a rousing response from a room filled with nearly 500 guests. It was a night that celebrated not only their success, but the limitless potential of every Urban Arts student.
Because of you—our incredible supporters, champions, and dance-floor legends—Color Ball 2026 raised $1.1 Milliom in a single night! That’s right, you made it rain (philanthropically speaking), and our Urban Arts students are the real winners! Rafael Martos, our inspiring Nagler Scholar, deserves a standing ovation. His story reminds us why we do this work—because talent deserves opportunity, and every student deserves a chance to create their future.
“Urban Arts became a second home. It didn’t carry the same pressure as high school. I made close friends and we’ve shared and nurtured our passions with each other, from photography, art, to narrative and programming. It was at Urban Arts I became inspired to take the first step in producing my own music. At Urban Arts I realized I can create anything.” —Rafael Martos 2026 Nagler Scholar
A huge thank you to our honorees, Phil Wiser, CTO of Paramount, and Alia Jones-Harvey, Associate Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, for their leadership and unwavering partnership. We couldn’t ask for better collaborators in this mission to fuel access and opportunity.
How Urban Arts is Using Video Games to Open Doors to College and Careers
Game On by Urban Arts is a year-long AP Computer Science course that teaches students to code by designing their own video games, combining industry tools like Unity with project-based learning. Developed through a multi-year, research-driven process with WestEd, the program was continuously refined using real classroom feedback from teachers and students across diverse schools. Findings consistently show strong student engagement, high-quality teacher support, and growing evidence that students build core computer science skills through game design. While challenges like school technology infrastructure remain, the curriculum, training, and materials are now considered ready for broader implementation. With a large-scale impact study underway, Game On By Urban Arts is positioned as a scalable, engaging approach to expanding access to high-quality computer science education.
Urban Arts Opens Google-Powered Studio, Designed by Award-Winning Producer IMAKEMADBEATS
We’re proud to announce the opening of our state-of-the-art sound studio at the Urban Arts Game Academy—powered by Google and built by Memphis-based artist/producer and UNAPOLOGETIC. Founder and CEO IMAKEMADBEATS. Our students helped build the space themselves—hands-on, with power tools and high-tech installations, making it a true reflection of our mission: creativity in action.
10-Minutes of Real Talk about Women in STEAM
Here’s a really special moment that deserves a listen. Agatha Hood, VP, Customer Success & Operations at @Unity Technologies, sat down with Urban Arts alum and current NYU student Faiza Mohamed for a forthright conversation about working in the games and tech industry.
Agatha has over two decades of experience in games, and almost ten years at #UnityTechnologies. She’s worked with major developers and brands, held different roles from ops to creative production, and worked on everything from downloadable PC games through VR. Currently, Agatha runs the Customer Success & Ops team at Unity helping customers successfully adopt and use Unity’s products, as well as optimizing internal productivity through data, #AI, and software.
Impact Report: ALUMNI 2026. We hire our most powerful advocates.
WHY GAME DESIGN?
At Urban Arts, students don’t just play games—they create them. As the nation’s premier nonprofit teaching video game design, we prepare young people for college and career by blending coding, 3D modeling, animation, and storytelling with the essential workforce skills of collaboration, leadership, and design-thinking. Students learn to build original games from the ground up, pitch their ideas, and develop portfolios that colleges and employers notice.
Game design fuels creativity while building critical problem-solving and technical expertise for a $300B industry and beyond. The results speak for themselves: Urban Arts students have earned over $46M in scholarships and launched careers at Lucasfilm, Unity, Amazon, Salesforce, and more. With Urban Arts, creativity isn’t just encouraged—it’s the pathway to the future.
A Brand New Partnership is the _______ of Our Eye
Urban Arts is proud to receive support from @Apple to expand its work and impact across New York. In celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, Apple is working with organizations around the world to expand access to educational and creative opportunities to young people in under-resourced communities—and we are honored to be among them. “This support from #Apple […]
Inspiring the Creators and Innovators of Tomorrow at Universal Epic Universe
In partnership with Universal Destinations & Experiences (UDX), we welcomed nearly 200 college and high school students from across the country to the first Inspiring Future Innovators Summit — a multi-day experience designed to spark ideas, build technical skills, and show students firsthand how creativity can open doors to careers in technology and entertainment.
Guided by mentors from Comcast and UDX, students participated in a design challenge where Universal Epic Universe was their innovation lab — and where gaming, storytelling, and thrill design were powered by their imagination.
The 2025 Yearbook is Here!
Get impressed! Packed with innovative programming, stories of impact, and intrepid youth.
The October PIXEL 🎃
The College Fellows Program We welcome our new cohort of paid alumni at Urban Arts. Our free College Access Program has piloted the College Fellows Program, pairing new high school seniors with a trained college mentor among Urban Arts alumni. These Fellows guide Game Academy seniors with step-by-step assistance with applications, essays, financial aid, and […]
Impact Report: Why We Teach Video Game Design 2025
WHY GAME DESIGN?
At Urban Arts, students don’t just play games—they create them. As the nation’s premier nonprofit teaching video game design, we prepare young people for college and career by blending coding, 3D modeling, animation, and storytelling with the essential workforce skills of collaboration, leadership, and design-thinking. Students learn to build original games from the ground up, pitch their ideas, and develop portfolios that colleges and employers notice.
Game design fuels creativity while building critical problem-solving and technical expertise for a $300B industry and beyond. The results speak for themselves: Urban Arts students have earned over $46M in scholarships and launched careers at Lucasfilm, Unity, Amazon, Salesforce, and more. With Urban Arts, creativity isn’t just encouraged—it’s the pathway to the future.