Game Design Workplace Challenge: Students Design Real Games Using Godot
Urban Arts, the national nonprofit that teaches digital game design as a pathway to college and career, recently led a Workplace Challenge where high school students tackled real game design problems. The challenge was developed in partnership with the Manhattan Early College School for Advertising (MECA), a high school that prepares students for careers in marketing, media, creative technology, design, and business, and Endless Access, a nonprofit and global game-making community that empowers youth through open-source and accessible tools.
The Workplace Challenge model is part of NYC’s work-based learning framework where NYC Public School high school students tackle real design problems from industry partners, moving through the complete professional development cycle from ideation to finished product. The students worked with the professional-level Godot game engine to design and build fully playable game levels, debugging code, troubleshooting mechanics, and gaining experience in teamwork and presenting. Students also heard from Phoenix Stroh, a Godot expert and game developer with Endless Access.
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.