The October PIXEL đ
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: College Access 2025
Here! And below âŹď¸
Philip Courtney, CEO, Named Notable Leader in Philanthropy 2025
Philip Courtney Named a Notable Leader in Philanthropy in New York City
Urban Arts CEO Recognized for Visionary Leadership and Transformative Impact on Local Students
New York, NY â June 2025 â Urban Arts proudly announces that its Chief Executive Officer, Philip Courtney, has been named a Notable Leader in Philanthropy by Crainâs New York Business, a prestigious recognition honoring individuals who are driving meaningful change and championing social good across New York City.
Under Philipâs leadership, Urban Arts has emerged as a powerful force for equity and opportunity, particularly among underserved communities. Since stepping into the role in 2003, Philip has overseen explosive growth, producing profound mobility and personal success for students, including:
⢠Winning a 3rd highly competitive $4M Education Innovation & Research (EIR) grant from the U.S. DoE (totaling $12M),
⢠Stewarding the #CreativeCoders partnership with Minecraft Education serving middle schools nationwide,
⢠Gaining the @collegeboard endorsement of Urban Artsâ #STEAM curriculum that’s shared freely with all Title 1 schools,
⢠Crafting a college access program that has 100% of seniors matriculating to college, earning $46M in scholarships,
⢠Challenging the organization to a new goalâ$100M in scholarships by 2030.
CEO Philip Courtney X Spark âĄď¸ Talk
Urban Arts CEO Philip Courtney delivered the energized Spark Talk “Video Gaming: An Equitable On-Ramp to Workforce Development” at the Infosys Foundation conference in Indianapolis May 8, 2025âand coined the phrase âdigital DaVincis.â
How many times would you have raised your hand?
Read the speech below to catch the spark.
Letâs play a game…..
COLLEGE ACCESS 2025 A New Generation of Game-Changers Takes the Next Step
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 â predominantly from low-income communities and first-generation applicantsâare not just getting in. Theyâre 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.
100% OF URBAN ARTS’ 2024 SENIORS MATRICULATE, WITH A $8M SCHOLARSHIP HAUL đ°
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, NYâUrban Arts teaches video game design to underrepresented students as a pathway to college and career. As part of Urban Artsâ mission to create a diverse talent pipeline, we […]