Why Learning to Program Video Games Isn’t a Waste of Time 🎮.

The high enrollment numbers that we’ve seen in Arcade Game Design have taught us that it absolutely isn’t a waste of time for kids to learn to code by programming video games. Instead, it’s an investment.

Video game coding courses are familiar, teach the skills that industry professionals look for, and plant seeds for kids and teens to continue learning more in the future.

The Projects Are Familiar.
Kids and teens enjoy playing video games and computer games. Their familiarity helps to lower the barrier to entry and encourages students who never pictured themselves as coders to give coding a try. No matter how challenging the project might be, we see that kids are willing to be challenged to learn the valuable tech skills that are needed to build a game from start to finish, like last month’s student project an RPG game.

It’s an Accomplishment.
Our classes break down the professional games that students are used to playing, giving them the opportunity to build a project that they already think is great! One student told us that his favorite part of the course was learning to code what goes into Galaga, a classic arcade game. Instead of playing games, kids and teens make their own. Our more advanced Scratch students put their own twist on one of the first computer games ever created, PONG! Uncovering the “mystery” of professional video games helps students to understand that teams of people built every game that they play and so can they. As a result, our students also learn about a new career path in video game development.

“I liked starting to code in a language I’ve never used before…even though some things were difficult to comprehend.”

– Arcade Game Design Student

It Makes Learning Valuable Skills Fun and Memorable.
When applying to schools, tech programs, or jobs, tech professionals are looking at the applicant’s code as an example of their skills. It’s not a negative thing if the project is playful in nature. Instead, with the projects students are making each week at SBCS, they’re building a portfolio of work and learning skills that can be applied to all kinds of projects. What matters most is that they started learning now and that the experience is positive!

Plant the Seed Early.
Our positive experiences early on with learning a new skill helps to motivate us to keep going instead of deterring us completely. Learning to code by building fun projects at the beginning of your coder’s tech career makes a participant more open to what else they can create with technology.

“I was able to learn new code and that I made a cool game!”

– Scratch Game Design Beginner Student

South Bend Code School is an award-winning program founded in 2015 with a mission to combat the technology skills gap at the earliest level by reforming technology education and making learning skills in coding and computer science equitable. Since our inception, we have provided computer science education to over 1,300 students through after-school programs as well as program and school partnerships.

For more information, visit southbendcodeschool.com.