Access That Changes Everything: Inside Urban Arts’ 3rd Annual College Forum
For students from low-income communities, the biggest barrier to college often isn’t ambition, it’s access. Last Friday, Urban Arts hosted its 3rd Annual College Forum at PwC in midtown, free through our College Access Program, ensuring our students enjoy direct access to both higher education leaders and college representatives.
Director of Post-Secondary Success Joelle Blackstock hosted and organized an hour-long panel featuring two industry leaders committed to expanding pathways for all students, with Urban Arts alum and ambassador Faiza Mohammed serving as moderator:
Dr. Charles J. Gibbs, Ed.D., President of Metropolitan College of New York
Sabrina Avila, Senior Manager of the STEM Research Academy at CUNY K16 Initiatives & Adult Pathways
Students and parents called the conversation “inspiring,” “encouraging,” “motivating,” and “very interesting.”
College Fellows: Inaugural Year for a Game-changing Program
Urban Arts teaches video game design as a pathway to college and career. Plus, we offer a free College Access program, boosting futures in STEM and the arts. Our pilot College Fellows program hired five alumni as advisors, providing paid positions with pre-professional training, a schedule that works for them, and a resume building block.
For young people, the most authentic guides are those who have just walked the walk, which is why we invest in our alumni with paid, purpose-driven opportunities to support the next generation. Through the College Fellows program, current college students bring their real-world experience, empathy, and hard-earned knowledge back to current high school seniors, offering weekly near-peer mentorship across applications, essays, financial aid, and everything in between. It works. 100% of Urban Arts seniors are accepted to college and they’ve earned $71M in scholarships since 2020.
Within the 31 students served in the Fellows program, they earned $8.4M in aid.
20 Years of the Nagler Scholar
Twenty years ago, Urban Arts Board Member Niclas Nagler and his family created The Nagler Scholarship to enable high school students from low-income communities to define their future. Each year, one winning scholar is awarded $60,000 to pursue their dreams. We are proud to celebrate 20 Years of the Nagler Scholar and this life-changing initiative, made possible by the generosity of the Nagler family.
Nagler scholars are artists, computer wizards, designers, teachers, entrepreneurs, and global changemakers. They exemplify leadership in their schools, a demonstrable focus and vision for their post-secondary careers, and a strong desire to use their talents and skills to impact the community.
Urban Arts’ Class of 2026 Achieves 100% College Acceptance Rate, Bringing Cumulative Scholarship Total to $71 Million Since 2020
A group of teenagers from low-income communities across New York City has earned $25 million in college scholarships this year, not through a traditional academic pipeline, but through video games.
These students are not outliers. Urban Arts, the national nonprofit that teaches video game design as a pathway to college and career, announced that its Class of 2026 has achieved a 100% college acceptance rate. This year’s results bring Urban Arts’ cumulative scholarship total to more than $71 million. All instruction and college access services are provided free of charge to students and their families.
At the Urban Arts Game Academy, students build original games, creating narrative, music, animation; pitch their work to industry professionals for real-world feedback, learning entrepreneurship, iteration, teamwork; and graduate with portfolios, credentials, and career networks that most of their peers, at any income level, don’t have.
Joelle Blackstock Named 40 Under 40 to Watch
Urban Arts is celebrating our Director of Post-secondary Success Joelle Blackstock being included in Crain’s New York Business 40 Under 40. Per Crain’s: “New York is a city powered by ambition, and this year’s 40 Under 40 honorees are a driving force behind its momentum. These rising stars are tackling some of the city’s most […]