IST’s newest outreach program, “An Introduction to Game Design,” attracted about three dozen high school students from Centre and surrounding counties this fall. The 12-hour class, given on two Saturdays, mixed discussion of game design principles with how-to lessons on everything from map creation to cut-scenes. Instructors Ibrahim Yucel and Joseph Zupko also challenged participants to make their own games.
Program evaluations indicated that the class increased the students’ interests in IST as well as in a career in the video-gaming industry.
“The program was a hit – the students were motivated to learn, open to experimenting with the software, and responsive to the instructors,” said Susan Shuman, assistant dean of equity and diversity, whose office sponsored the program. “We had a waiting list of interested students, so we are hoping to offer another course this spring.”
