For the first time in two years, Electronic Arts Orlando’s “Get in the Game” STEAM Camp – designed to diversify the workforce pipeline and unlock the potential of untapped talent among Central Florida girls and non-binary students – was back in action.
Local students Anna Jiang and Anwitha Srirama from Lake Brantley High School were selected for the EA STEAM Camp.
“I was interested in computer science, but had only taken one class in school before attending this camp,” said student Anna Jiang. “This week gave me an opportunity to explore the topic more in-depth and learn about the different roles people can play when creating video games.”
“It was really interesting to see real-life applications in the areas that I want to explore in college and beyond,” said student Anwitha Srirama. “To see successful professionals making a career and money out of something I’ve always just thought could be my hobby was really empowering.”
The program took place at the new EA Orlando studio in Downtown Orlando’s Creative Village and consisted of students from Orange, Osceola and Seminole County Public Schools.
Throughout the week, camp participants got to “level up” their coding skills with lessons and hands-on video game development. They also enjoyed a behind-the-scenes look at EA’s world-class technology and tools, and received mentorship from the software engineers and artists credited on iconic games such as EA SPORTS Madden NFL.
“I really enjoyed our coding lessons and learning about the lifestyles and day-to-day schedules of the software engineers at EA,” added Anna Jiang. “I think EA would be a great company to work with because they go above and beyond to connect you with coworkers that support you. We learned about this during the employee resource groups panel and it gave me a lot of hope for the future.”
“I really enjoyed how we were able to participate in hands-on demonstrations during the camp, especially in the motion capture studio,” said Anwitha Srirama. “We had the opportunity to see what technology the EA team works with and how it’s applied from concept to final product.”
Overall, the students were able to have fun while learning and getting hands-on experience that could shape their future career path.
“At this camp, the learning was truly endless and I gained way more knowledge than I had before,” said Anna Jiang. “Learning from the professionals at EA helped me seriously consider this as a pathway for my future and better inform me about the job options that are available.”
Check out some of the amazing action from the EA STEAM Camp in Orlando:
RELATED: Check out the 2023 Students Selected for the 2023 EA Orlando’s ‘Get in the Game’ STEAM Camp.
