After an intensive one-week “summer camp” at the Electronic Arts (EA) Tiburon studio in Orlando, 10 female coders from local high schools graduated today from EA’s new “Get in the Game” educational program designed to showcase the applications of STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math – in video game development.
Contingent on high school graduation and completion of relevant college courses, each student was guaranteed an internship interview in hopes she might someday pursue career opportunities with EA.
“Get in the Game” inaugural class members were nominated by Orange and Seminole County teachers based on computer coding experience and interest in STEAM-related career opportunities. Graduates include:
• Tuval Basher, Lake Brantley High School
• Cara Crawford, Lake Brantley High School
• Zoe Fang, Edgewater High School
• Nicole Herrera, Crooms Academy of Information Technology
• Sabina Hincapie, Lake Brantley High School
• Abigail Marks, Edgewater High School
• Ruby Nunez, Apopka High School
• Bryanna Pajotte, Edgewater High School
• Naomi Pierre, Crooms Academy of Information Technology
• Lisa Reichelson, Lake Brantley High School
“It was a thrill to host these young developers with us for the ‘Get In The Game’ program, and we sincerely hope some of these talented women will be back to join our EA SPORTS team,” said Daryl Holt, vice president and head of operations for EA SPORTS. “As a company, we hold diversity and inclusion at our core. Continuing to grow the diversity in our studios, bringing in new and different perspectives, will only help us create more amazing games, and hopefully inspire more people around the world to play.”
Working alongside creators of EA SPORTS Madden NFL and NBA LIVE, students were given a view into what goes into making leading video games today. Students were granted exclusive access to EA’s proprietary technology and tools, they operated professional 3-D animation software, visited a recording studio, participated in a play-testing session and more. Students also learned about culture and career opportunities at EA from mentors in the Women’s Ultimate Team Employee Resource Group – employee advocates who ensure women are represented at every stage of the video game development process.
Throughout the week, students also learn computer coding skills in classes led by program partner, Seth Reichelson. Founder and teacher for Lake Brantley High School’s computer science program, Reichelson has been recognized for successfully engaging underrepresented students by the White House, Google, IBM, National Center for Women & Information Technology, CompTIA and others.
“Get in the Game” is one component of EA’s companywide commitment to increase the number of talented female developers on its teams who influence the creation of games that deliver an amazing player experience for players around the world. Other initiatives include the Girls Who Code summer immersion program, Employee Resource Groups, Inclusion @EA training program, Girls Make Games site visits, and the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) of Women in Computing.
EA is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers. EA has more than 300 million registered players around the world.
How does one register to participate in the summer camp held July 13 to July 17 2020
My grandaughter Teia Roland is exciting about this possibility. She is currently an 11th grader a Crooms Academy of Technology