Girls Make Games Gears a Camp For Young Women

Did you know that 47 percent of women make up the gaming population, but only 12 percent of them are in the games industry?

Did you know that 47 percent of women make up the gaming population, but only 12 percent of them are in the games industry? It’s no secret that it’s been very much a boy’s club, but as game design is shaping up as a rapidly expanding career, more and more women are fighting against the stereotypes and getting involved in the profession. LearnDistrict, an indie studio based in San Jose, CA, is launching “Girls Make Games,” a summer program designed to invite young women to explore the field.

The upcoming camp is located in Mountain View, CA, designated for girls in grades 6-10. The academic part covers an intro to game design (gameplay models, mechanics, terminology), game art (Photoshop characters and background), and programming (basic fundamentals and logic). There are also presentations from people working for the game industry and field trips to places including Microsoft and Google headquarters. Double Fine Studios, a partner of the initiative, will host a Play Day. The program has a 5:1 student to instructor ratio. Post camp, a “Demo Day” will take place, where the girls present their project pitches before Double Fine and Google Play.

Register quicklyfor a spot in the first workshop. The next round of camps in the United States will happen in Los Angeles, CA, Austin, TX, and Seattle, WA. The website also lists more upcoming camps in a few other USA locations, as well as European countries like Poland and the UK.

For more information on Girls Make Games, check out their website, and be sure to spread the word to anybody who would be interested in learning game design.