Camel City Student Innovation

At a glance

• Two game jams, two summer camps and district mentoring each year
• Cited in three presentations at the national Serious Play conference

The gap

The Camel City Game Jam needed fundraising and event management that the local school system wasn't set up to provide. More than that, no organization was focused on building the pipeline between North Carolina schools and the game industry.

What I built

I co-founded Camel City Student Innovation to fill both gaps. It offers students mentoring and connections in innovative technologies and interactive media.

From day one, the board set out to take a statewide role. North Carolina is home to Epic Games' headquarters and a Ubisoft studio, which made it a strong place to build that pipeline. Early relationships with developers at Epic Games and Zynga helped us get started, and Epic Games became a major sponsor in our third year.

Two principles shaped everything we built. Students and developers both get real support. And every event is a shared space where they work together, never a sit-and-get seminar.

The organization now runs:

• the Camel City Game Jam
• a second game jam each spring
• two summer camps
• mentoring for districts and teachers

What changed

Event participation has grown more than 40% since the first year, as the organization added a spring game jam and two summer camps.

What lasted

The organization kept going after I stepped down. My vice chair now leads the board, and this year's calendar includes two game jam events and two summer camps.

Our work has reached a national audience. Three separate presentations at the Serious Play conference referenced our event.