Girls Inc. inducts young women into the wonderful world of IT
Being a gaming journalist comes with its share of perks. It can be a pleasant existence if you’re the type of person who cashes in on pre-release codes or play tests the latest whiz-bang for whatever upcoming triple-A disaster looms on the horizon.
Don’t get me wrong, superficially these are okay. But having the opportunity to tell stories about the next generation of videogame creators is something no big box publisher can ever touch in terms of rewards or space-consuming swag.
This year I’ve been given the honor of being a judge on this year’s Girls Inc. of Chattanooga’s Games for Change Expo. The expo is the culmination of everything the seventh-grade girls of East Lake Academy have learned with the Build IT program. According to Girls Inc. of Chattanooga, the Build IT program is designed to provide access to STEM programming for girls and to encourage students towards a career using information technology.
Not to get too political about the topic, but as videogame developers gain visibility and individual followings, a top issue has been greater female representation within the industry. Programs such as Build IT at East Lake Academy are important assets to cultivate introductory skills and artistic passions within technology fields.
According to the National Center for Women & Information Technology, only 25 percent of the computing workforce was female as recently as 2015. There’s even more room for growth among women of color; black women held just three percent of computing jobs and Latinas only one percent in 2015, according to the same organization. With the demand for skilled IT professionals soaring, that’s an enormous wealth of underutilized potential waiting to be discovered.
Sounds like a bright and brilliant future if you ask me—but first, the obstacles that stand between these young women and their full potential need to be removed. And that’s just what Girls, Inc. is trying to achieve.
Twenty plus years ago my Grandfather told me that there will be jobs out there that you’ll never believe will exist. This perpetually greasy construction worker sage was always thinking light years ahead, and I can’t believe how much of his great wisdom rings true even today. I mean, who knew that one could get paid to make computer generated shapes dance across a screen, or moderate media content from a laptop for a company in another hemisphere? I sure didn’t.
So, when I look into these STEM and IT education programs across the city, I see the old man’s wisdom applied to full effect. The teachers, students, volunteers, and parents who actively engage in these programs are preparing the next generation for what lies ahead.
On the evening of May 16th at East Lake Academy of Fine Arts, I and a few others will see what these tech-savvy 7th graders have created. The project for these students is to develop videogames that promote a specific message or theme around specific social issues.
It will be an exercise in utilizing videogames as a means of artistic expression to communicate deep and complex topics.
This is something many of us have seen in the open, independent video game markets of the direct-to-download era: socially conscious games with a purpose. Love it or hate it, socially aware gamers are numerous and vocal. There is no denying that as technology gets more sophisticated, the range of artistic expression in videogames has expanded. It will be interesting to see how all of this comes together and what content these teens will present.
Build IT Program Educator Meghan Kelly has been beaming about this year’s event:
“I am so proud of the diligent work of the girls in the program. We are excited to present our games to the community in hopes of enacting change. We are hopeful for the community to show up for a night of play and learning!” she said.
Although I’m attending as a judge, I feel more like a fanboy cheerleader who will be there to offer encouragement to the next generation of game developers. I encourage anyone who works in the game or IT industry looking for a righteous cause to lend a hand to Girls Inc. and Chattanooga’s Build IT program.
Please reach out to Meghan Kelly via email at mearll@girlsincofchatt.org if you’re interested in attending the night’s expo or if you’d like to assist the program in the future. The best thing anyone can do to support our young girls is offer encouragement and positivity. The videogame industry needs their vision, their energy, and their social commitment.
When not vaporizing zombies or leading space marines as a mousepad Mattis, Brandon Watson is making gourmet pancakes and promoting local artists.