CompetitionsSummer Programs
Websites
Books
Individuals and teams ages 13 & up compete for the chance for publication and cash prizes of up to $100,000.
www.indiegamechallenge.com In this weekend-long, worldwide game development competition, participants with and without game experience are invited to try their hand at making a game. With thousands participating, this is a good opportunity to see gamers and their products in action.
www.globalgamejam.com/jam In the Game Design Competition, teams of 4 ages 16 & up create a new game based on an annual theme (2010: Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems). Ten finalists compete for a grand prize of $8,000.
http://imaginecup.us/competitions/gamedesign At this cutting-edge fair, finalists in the student competition compete for game development software and passes to the 2010 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. Prize categories include Best Student Game and Student Showcase Winner, earning prizes of $2,500 and $500, respectively. www.igf.com Amateurs and professionals alike are invited to submit games for judging. Award-winning works are exhibited at The National Art Center in Tokyo as well as on the Web. Prizes include cash, trophies, and certificates. http://plaza.bunka.go.jp/english/festival/2010/entry/guideline.php Teams or individuals ages 16 and up build a new game for Xbox 360 using XNA software. Prizes include cash totaling $75,000 and the potential for publishing contracts.
http://www.dreambuildplay.com/main/default.aspx Students in grades 5–8 compete for prize packages totaling $20,000, with a top prize of $10,000.
www.schoolscrabble.com Students ages 19 and under team up to compete for scholarship awards at this annual competition.
www.bridgeiscool.com Students compete for medals and trophies in various tournaments. The Grand Prix Competition spans the entire year.
http://www.nscfchess.org Applicants submit their ideas for designing a new game. Ten semi-finalists present slideshows of their concepts, and four finalists present their work to a panel of professional game designers for feedback.
http://sxsw.com/interactive/screenburn/competitions In this international competition, students up to age 18 play the ancient board game Go to win airfare and hotel accommodations to the finals, as well as scholarships to the AGA’s Summer Youth Go Camp.
www.usgo.org/tournaments/USYGC
At the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, students who have earned qualifying test scores can explore a range of math, science, and humanities topics in summer and online courses. This list features courses in the art and science of games. Grades 7–11; 3 weeks; residential. Course offerings include Game Theory and Economics, and Probability and Game Theory. (410) 735-6277; www.cty.jhu.edu/summer Grades specified refer to students’ 2010-11 status. All programs are residential unless otherwise noted. Ages 12–17; 5 days. Through seminars, demonstrations, and practice, students in the Computer Engineering Camp explore topics of interest such as video game design and software applications.
(607) 871-2612; www.alfred.edu/SUMMER/camps/computer-engr.cfm Grades 3–8; 1 week; commuter. 2009 offerings for qualifying students included Amusement Park Physics, K’NEX Geometry, and Programming using Alice.
(412) 268-1629; www.cmu.edu/cmites/summer.html Grades 7-8; 2 weeks or 5 weeks. Students choose 2 major and 2 minor courses from offerings that include Puzzles and Logic and Game Strategy. (203) 697-2365; Grades 10-12; 5 weeks. Course offerings include Games for Change and Online Digital Portfolio. (312) 344-7130; www.colum.edu/Admissions/hssi.php
Grades 9–12; 4 weeks; commuter. Course offerings include Computer Graphics through Game Programming.
(212) 854-9666; www.ce.columbia.edu/hs Grades 7–12; 5 days; residential and commuter. In the Video Game Design Summer Camp, students study game design and development and create their own 3D video game.
(517) 355-8372; http://tism.msu.edu/modules.php?name=Pages&sp_id=1126 Grades 11 & 12; 3 weeks. In The Digital World and You, students explore computer games, web technology, and more through lecture, discussion, and debate.
(607) 225-6203; www.summercollege.cornell.edu Grades 5–12; 2 weeks; commuter. Students in grades 5–7 attend workshops in game design and animation, while those in grades 8–12 select from game programming, game design, 3D animation, and robotics workshops.
(866) 478-5236; https://projectfun.digipen.edu/workshops/courses Grades 7–10; 3 weeks. Course offerings for qualifying students include Game Theory and Programming for Video Games.
(919) 668-9100; http://www.tip.duke.edu/summer_programs Ages 13–18; 2 weeks. In the Gaming Academy, students explore game design philosophies, learn tricks of the trade, and use cutting-edge software to program games.
(888) 709-8324; www.internaldrive.com/idga Grades 9–12; 4 days. Through lecture, discussion, and hands-on practice, students explore the latest trends in computer technology, programming, and design.
(812) 856-6016; www.informatics.indiana.edu/summercamp Grades 8-10; 1 week. Courses for qualifying students include Game Theory and Inside Baseball.
(800) 262-3810; www.opptag.iastate.edu/summer Grade 11; 4 weeks; girls only. Rising seniors explore topics in computer science and electrical engineering through classes, labs, and team-based projects.
(617) 253-5580; http://wtp.mit.edu Grades 11 & 12; 6 weeks; residential and commuter. Students focus on art or programming and attend lectures, workshops, and labs to gain an understanding of the current state of video game production as well as guidance on careers in the video game industry.
(412) 268-2082; www.cmu.edu/enrollment/pre-college/game.html Grades 5–11; 3 weeks. Courses for qualifying students include Math: Puzzles and Games and Visual Modeling with LOGO.
(847) 491-3782; www.ctd.northwestern.edu/summer Grades 10–12; 6 weeks; commuter. In Video Games: Culture and Industry, students learn about video games’ place in culture and business and examine emerging trends.
(212) 998-2292; http://www.nyu.edu/summer/2010/highschool Grades 9–12; 3 weeks. In the Computer Graphics program, students use Penn Engineering’s state-of-the-art facilities and research labs to create their own 3D character and animation short. The program culminates in a presentation showcase for family, friends, and industry guests.
(215) 898-7246; www.seas.upenn.edu/saast Grades 7-12; 1-2 weeks. Qualifying students may choose from courses including Game Development and Tournament Chess. (765) 494-7243; www.purdue.edu/geri Grades 11 & 12; 8 weeks; residential and commuter. In Media Entertainment, students undertake an intensive study of the impact of media as entertainment on the individual and society.
(650) 723-3109; http://summer.stanford.edu/highschool/overview.asp Grades 9–12; 2 weeks. Course offerings include Introduction to Game Theory.
(401) 863-7900; www.brown.edu/scs/pre-college Grades 10–12; 5 weeks; residential and commuter. Course offerings include Introduction to Media Computing.
(202) 687-5992; http://scs.georgetown.edu/programs/113/summer-programs-for-high-school-students-summer-college Grades 5–7; 1 week; girls only. In G.A.M.E.S. Camp (Girls’ Adventures in Math, Engineering, & Science), students participate in labs and fieldtrips, explore computer graphics, create animations, and launch a website.
(217) 244-3815; www.engr.uiuc.edu/wie/games/index.php Grades 8-12; 3 weeks; residential and commuter. Students in grades 8-9 may choose from Manufacturing Mario: Conceptual Video Game Design; Lasers, Daragons, Warriors, and Wizards: Role-Playing Game Design; and a Strategy Games workshop. Those in grades 10-12 may select from Strategic Thinking in Games, Playground Games, Bridge, and The Art of Pitching.
(781) 762-7400; www.explo.org This Internet directory features links for online, console, emulation, and PC games, game cheats, and gaming resources in a comprehensive range of categories. http://www.download3k.com/Games/Arcade/Download-Arcade-Force-Game-Directory-Browser.html Lest you think that high tech is reserved for video gamers, check out this site that contains 78 categories of board games, extensive information on the mechanics of games, and much more.
www.boardgamegeek.com This site of the International Game Developer’s Association includes a myriad of resources for those interested in careers in game development. http://archives.igda.org/breakingin This informative blog contains a variety of game-related reads, including instructional entries and perspectives on gaming philosophies.
http://digitalworlds.wordpress.com Here you can search for games in over 30 categories, including board, card, mystery, educational, and award-winning games.
www.directsource-games.com Click on a featured geographical location to see what’s happening game-wise in a particular part of the world, or check out the Features section for an always-changing source of game-related articles, reviews, and more.
www.edge-online.com At this comprehensive site for both amateur and professional gamers, you can catch up on the latest news in the gaming world, read interviews with top game developers, research internships, or follow the blogs for an in-depth perspective into the gamers’ world.
www.gamasutra.com Download this PC-based game development tool for free.
www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker Play games, help the world, earn prizes. That’s the idea behind this unique site which uses player input to fuel a variety of projects.
www.gwap.com Check out this site for an overview of what’s happening in the field of serious and educational games.
http://seriousgamesblog.blogspot.com
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by Fletcher Dunn and Ian Parberry (Jones & Bartlett, 2002). by Jesse Schell (Morgan Kauffman, 2008). by Matthew Omernick (New Riders Games, 2004).
by Jessica Mulligan and Bridgette Petrovsky (New Riders Games, 2003).
by Jacob Habgood (Apress, 2006).
by Huw Davies (Scholastic, 2009). by David Parlett (Oxford University Press, 1999). by Roger Caillois (University of Illinois Press, 2001). by Alice Rush (Prima Games, 2006). by David Parlett (Penguin, 2009). by Len Fisher (Basic Books, 2008). by Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman (MIT Press, 2003). by Michael Stean (Dover Publications, 2003). (Lone Eagle, 2008).
by Bill Loguidice (Focal Press, 2009).
by Stefan Fatsis (Penguin, 2002). | 
