Urban Arts

Urban Arts We teach digital game design 👾 and emerging technologies as a pathway to college 🎓 and career. We have 100% college acceptance and $71 Million in scholarships.

We design and implement educational programs rooted in the arts and technology for underrepresented students. We teach underrepresented students the art and technology of game development through computer science, coding, animation, music, and storytelling. We provide private-school level college-access services and ensure our students earn the maximum in scholarships. We connect our alumni to mentorship and internship opportunities at leading media and technology companies, generating a new and diverse talent pipeline. Because a quality education shouldn’t depend on a child’s zip code.

Urban Arts will be in blowing minds 🤯 at the 2026 Marvelous Education Symposium & Expo, featuring our 101 workshop t...
10/08/2026

Urban Arts will be in blowing minds 🤯 at the 2026 Marvelous Education Symposium & Expo, featuring our 101 workshop this Saturday.

In advance of our capital tour, CEO Philip Courtney spoke with Evin Schwartz of the about why game design moves the needle on for students who need it most.

“What I love about Urban Arts is this collision of cultures. That's really much more representative of what the world is and what the world needs. When a student comes into our program, they see game design as just, oh, it's a game. And then when you look under the hood, you see sound, music, animation, 3D artwork, storytelling—probably the most important skill you can have, especially today, right? How do you tell your story? And then on the tech side: coding, computer science, AI, and all the project management skills that go in. It's incredibly complex to make a video game.”

Watch the conversation here: tinyurl.com/courtneythinkering

DC Public Schools FREE! Teachers, impress your students in an engaging & effective format—computer science through game design. You can't miss.

come play-test new games 👾!

Office of the State Superintendent of Education

Urban Arts grad (and Barnard student and Nintendo intern) Giselle interviews inventor Al Alcorn and CEO Jeri Ellswort...
10/06/2026

Urban Arts grad (and Barnard student and Nintendo intern) Giselle interviews inventor Al Alcorn and CEO Jeri Ellsworth about the game design industry and where students can find opportunity today.

Watch/Listen here: urbanarts.org/2026/09/29/pongtothemetaverse-2/

Maya's game had a game **WITHIN A GAME**! There's levels to it. And 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪!Join this school year and learn to express y...
10/02/2026

Maya's game had a game **WITHIN A GAME**! There's levels to it. And 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪!

Join this school year and learn to express your ideas and build your own projects. It's free, the faculty is exceptional, and you meet friends in real life. Digital art, music, games, great snacks and so much more.

It's easy to join. Learn more at an informational, apply, enroll—it's tuition-free for every accepted students. https://urbanarts.org/gameacademy/

🏃🏾The 30-Hour Overnight Sprint 🏃🏻‍♂️ / ❌ 🛌 !!!!Working + from the community, along with Urban Arts alumni came tog...
10/01/2026

🏃🏾The 30-Hour Overnight Sprint 🏃🏻‍♂️ / ❌ 🛌 !!!!
Working + from the community, along with Urban Arts alumni came together over a September weekend for the first ever at Urban Arts. 30 hours. One theme. Saturday morning welcomed 35 caffeinated ☕ folks who produced 10 finished games by Sunday night. And the team of Urban Arts alumni won first place 🥇!

Giant thank you to for sponsoring, providing prizes and Unity Pro licenses—as well as crafting the industry-standard engine behind all the great work.

Thank you, Filip Baba, and the UnityNYC team for putting the jam together.

Interested in hosting an event like this at Urban Arts? Reach out to us at [email protected].

GameSpot

This summer, Brielle produced her original heist game (with cats! and fish! and big shots!), inspired by movies like Mis...
09/29/2026

This summer, Brielle produced her original heist game (with cats! and fish! and big shots!), inspired by movies like Mission Impossible and Oceans 8. Swipe for her artwork.

Come make art and stories with us. Produce your own sound effects and music. The Game Academy is tuition-free to ALL accepted students.

Learn about us and enroll here: https://urbanarts.org/gameacademy/

SHARE THIS FORWARD! Our programs are FREE!

LOUDER 📣 FOR EVERYONE IN THE BACK! The world needs *your games* *your artwork* *your ideas* *your vision* *your energy*S...
09/26/2026

LOUDER 📣 FOR EVERYONE IN THE BACK! The world needs *your games* *your artwork* *your ideas* *your vision* *your energy*

Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ like this team made amazing work this summer. You can do it too.

When you're accepted to the , your tuition is completely covered by our partners like Google, Hasbro, Paramount, Comcast, NBC, Take Two Interactive, Keybank and more.. Plus, you make real friends IRL. When you learn you train your creative voice and earn high-level STEM skills. Our free college access boosts these talents into 100% college acceptance and $71M in scholarships.

Let's go. More intel here: urbanarts.org/gameacademy

.fu .patt

09/25/2026

Did you know that when you join the in high school, you can be like Leo and come back to help teach while you're in college? Alumni Teaching Assistants are the best of the best to teach the next cohort of young creative technologists. They know the material, they're invested in giving back, and they earn money for college—a win-win-win.

In high school, come make games, make friends and crush the college access program. Then apply to jobs at Urban Arts that fit your schedule and interests—ATAs like Leo, Ambassadors and College Fellows. We've got BREAD 🍞 CHEDDAR 🧀 LOOT 💰!

Leo is an Urban Arts alum and now a senior majoring in EPIC!

Our is a sytem of success that starts right now. Register for an informational, apply, enroll! Super-easy! urbanarts.org/gameacademy

Game On! A Free Unity Bootcamp for EducatorsJoin our free, fun, and interactive workshop for Game On by Urban Arts, the ...
09/22/2026

Game On! A Free Unity Bootcamp for Educators

Join our free, fun, and interactive workshop for Game On by Urban Arts, the engaging and effective computer science curriculum. This October 24th, you’ll learn how to make games in Unity Engine, the industry standard platform of tools. No experience required! Plus, learn how Unity can be used in your classroom to create student projects that scaffold basic programming concepts. Imagine telling your students they'll be making their own video game in class, fostering a creative and engaged learning environment. You'll get hands-on, guided practice programming in C # and constructing basic gameplay mechanics. You’ll hear from Game On teachers who have been there and are doing that. (And you may even get a personalized compsci horoscope!)

This October 24th, you get:
• A live virtual bootcamp
• A beginner-friendly introduction to
• An exploration of
• FREE access to the College-Board endorsed curriculum GAME ON BY URBAN ARTS: AP Computer Science Principles through Game Design
• Access to additional year-round Professional Development sessions with other teachers.

You can mix and match this curriculum for a wide range of settings! By completing this free introductory PD session, you will receive a certificate of completion. NY teachers may receive up to 6 credit hours. You will also have free access to future PDs!

Register here. It’s free! https://forms.gle/qeCM2ZK3gt2o41HU7

HEAR FROM GAME ON TEACHERS!

Dallas School District Lenoir County Public Schools Caldwell County Schools Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Arkansas Department of Education Public Schools

Annette! This creative technologist ideated & iterated her own video game this summer. In her game, Mendy goes on advent...
09/22/2026

Annette! This creative technologist ideated & iterated her own video game this summer. In her game, Mendy goes on adventures, walking through a maze of rooms to free trapped characters.

Yes, tech is for you.

This school year, launch your own ideas at the Game Academy. All instruction 📊 and equipment 👩🏽‍💻 and snacks 🍿 and travel 🚇 are covered ( !) by our generous partners like Unity + many others.

It's easy to register and get more information here:
www.urbanarts.org/gameacademy

Our free college access is included. Our students have 100% college acceptance and $71M in scholarships earned since 2020. LETS GO!!!!!!!!!!

**FREE STEM afterschool program for teens**

This summer, Jacob made a cool 🐸 game with slime and "elusive golden candy." Sahara made a swimming mermaid game (Lushy ...
09/21/2026

This summer, Jacob made a cool 🐸 game with slime and "elusive golden candy." Sahara made a swimming mermaid game (Lushy 🧜🏽‍♀️!) with caves and crystals.

What would your teen make if they could make your own video game? Teens invent the story and the characters, design and program their own game at the Urban Arts Game Academy. It's FREE. Plus, our free program has 100% college acceptance and $71M in scholarships.

Urban Arts is the national STEM nonprofit with our high-energy Game Academy here in NYC. We offer year-round afterschool courses. Game Academy tuition is fully covered by our partners like Google, Hasbro, COMCAST, NBCU, Unity, Paramount and many others. We're highly rated for making friends IRL.

Check out our classes here: urbanarts.org/gameacademy/

Citizens' Committee for Children of New York

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(212) 966-5881

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