COLLEGE ACCESS 2025 A New Generation of Game-Changers Takes the Next Step

A wide group of young people holding graduation props, seniors at Urban Arts Game Academy

Urban Arts is thrilled to celebrate our seniors as they commit to colleges across the country, armed with scholarships and dreams that are no longer just possibilities, but realities. These students — predominantly from low-income communities and first-generation applicants—are not just getting in. They’re thriving, rewriting the narrative of who belongs in the world of higher education, technology and game design. Urban Arts students have earned $45+ millions in scholarships since 2017.

Well. That was epic.

Fancy guests at an energetic gala waving multicolored cloth napkins in the air above their heads

At Urban Arts’ Color Ball on April 10th, five extraordinary young people took the stage—and owned it.

Urban Arts to Honor Josh Feldman with NBCUniversal at 2025 Color Ball

Urban Arts, the premier national nonprofit harnessing the power of digital game design as a pathway to college and career, will honor Josh Feldman, Chief Marketing Officer, Advertising & Partnerships, of NBCUniversal, at its inspiring, high energy Color Ball gala. The event, set to take place on April 10 in New York City, will celebrate […]

Bold, Creative, Inspiring: The 2024 Urban Arts Yearbook  is Live Now 

Are you ready to discover how creativity is shaping new futures and opening doors for middle and high school students in the 2024 Urban Arts Yearbook? Through hands-on learning, mentorship and college access, we’re empowering students to build skills and confidence for futures in STEM STEAM. Your support is helping turn dreams into reality—one game […]

A 2,400 MILE FIELD TRIP ✈️ FOR SIX URBAN ARTS STUDENTS

Students smiling in front of a large dragon statue at Wizards of the Coast.

SEATTLE, WA—“Magic for Lunch” is on the agenda when gaming studios Wizards of the Coast and Nintendo partner with Urban Arts, hosting students on a 2,400 mile field trip.  Urban Arts is the national nonprofit generating real mobility for underrepresented youth from low-income communities with a novel approach—STEAM futures through game design. Field trips with […]

100% OF URBAN ARTS’ 2024 SENIORS MATRICULATE, WITH A $8M SCHOLARSHIP HAUL 💰

Urban Arts free college access program offers intensive counseling and financial aid supports, enabling 100% of seniors to go to college with minimal-to-no debt. New York, NY—Urban Arts teaches video game design to underrepresented students as a pathway to college and career. As part of Urban Arts’ mission to create a diverse talent pipeline, we […]

ARCADE 2024 🙌🏾 SMASH SUCCESS

Confetti rains down in a classroom as several students celebrate at the Urban Arts Arcade event.

New York, NY, June 15—Totally new games to play, dedicated gamers in supportive community, plus industry pros leaning *IN*—#ARCADE 2024 marks another smash success. Over 100 students jammed the Urban Arts Learning Lab to 🍕🍪🍿, to play, to celebrate their work, and to cheer the Studio Teams on as they pitched their year-long efforts to […]

2024 BATTLE OF THE BOROUGHS 🏆

Brooklyn, NY—Urban Arts remains thrilled to be involved with Battle of the Boroughs (BOTB)—an exciting K-12 #scholastic #esports competition from NYC Public Schools, Minecraft Education, and C40’s Reinventing Cities aimed at empowering young New Yorkers to shape their city’s future. BOTB is a three-round elimination-style event where student teams design inclusive, future-ready city spaces. Mayor’s […]

Urban Arts & The College Board: A STEM STEAM Partnership

Game On, an innovative custom curriculum from Urban Arts to teach Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) through Game Design, has recently been endorsed by the College Board. As the only endorsed curriculum powered by Unity’s world-leading platform of tools, Game On teaches computer science through the art and technology of game development, informing […]