Are your kids into videogames, and do they want to learn more about making them? Then The Game Experience may be the perfect summer camp for them. All this week, we’ll be exploring different aspects of the amazing summer video game development immersion program offered by our sponsor, Experience America.
Personal Growth and Development
The Game Experience: “Bringing together an international gamer community of bright students to build lasting friendships.”
A lot of educational opportunities are heavy on the books, heavy on the learning, heavy on the standards. The Game Experience is definitely full of learning, but the folks in charge help guide each camp participant, taking a look at the whole person, helping each individual succeed. If anyone isn’t sure how or where they can fit in, people are there to help. The goal of the teachers and leaders is to help each participant thrive and succeed in their own way.
-Sophie’s Mom’s Testimonial from last year-
Our daughter participated in The Game Experience with Experience America during the summer of 2014. She had never been away from home by herself before, so needless to say, we were nervous to have her head out on this adventure alone. Every staff member we were in contact with at Experience America was incredibly helpful and understanding of our concerns as we planned her trip. Once she was in Seattle, our daughter had the experience of a lifetime. She learned a ton about video game design and the industry. She got to see the best of University of Washington and the great city of Seattle. Another bonus to the program was that it boosted our daughter’s self-confidence. Since participating in the program, she has been pushed herself harder in school and has a very clear vision of what she wants to accomplish in her future. We credit Experience America and their amazing staff with helping our daughter grow and learn in more ways we ever dreamed possible. We are so glad she participated in The Game Experience with Experience America and highly recommend it!
This three-week summer program also emphasizes the importance of international participation and involvement. The experience is “culturally fluid” while they strive to make everyone to feel at home, and participants meet people from other countries and cultures. Members of the leadership team are available 24/7 to help with any issues that come up. They obviously want everyone to feel supported, both with game-related work, and personally. The Game Experience environment nurtures each individual’s goals and takes into consideration their needs. As they say, “At Experience America, our role is simple: to ensure, and constantly improve on, the quality of a student’s experience.”
Since the program covers animation, art, programming, design, sound, and business management, there is an area in which each participant will thrive. Also, since some people work better alone and some work better in groups, camp goers can choose which arrangement works for them. In either scenario, they will be given real responsibilities to allow them to realize their full potential. Students need not already know what they are doing; the program allows for many different levels of expertise, so everyone is learning at the level that is appropriate for them. With support from the instructors, students spend their time working on both their technical expertise and their ability to work and communicate with others.
From the Game Experience materials:
Often students who attend our video game camps are slightly introverted and may have struggled throughout their younger years to make friends and find people who have similar interests. At the Game Experience students have the opportunity to meet like-minded students who they share similar interests and passions with. They find it easy to connect with each other and connect over video games, computer science and life in general.
This has a huge effect on their personal development and is one very valuable component of the camp. This is a huge source of pride for our team to see our students happy and engaged with others when they may have struggled previously.
The tours of the game companies in the Seattle area also help participants see what the end result might be if they continue to pursue game development. These outings also help camp participants bond, enjoying themselves, connecting with others, and growing as individuals.
Since everything including housing, food, educational classes, projects, cultural experiences, and transportation is included in the price of the camp, students can focus on making the most of their time and leave the details to those in charge.
Give your kids the opportunity to develop their own interests, skills, passions, and goals during this three-week camp! To find out more about The Game Experience, visit their website today!
