GMG Around the World
Run a GMG workshop in your community!
Our most ambitious project to date, “GMG Around the World” is GMG’s initiative to bring the joy of game making to as many girls as possible around the world through free workshops. Since 2014, we’ve taught students from 150+ cities worldwide and are aiming to reach over 200 cities in 2023!
We would love to have you join us on this journey, inspiring young girls to explore the world of game development! You do not need to have a background in coding or teaching to host a GMG workshop, we’re here to support and offer any training you’ll need to run a successful event.
Important note:
While our curriculum is available for free, the use of GMG’s logo and branding requires explicit permission from the program. Email info@girlsmakegames.com with a brief outline of your intended workshops/events and we can help make a decision if the workshop may be promoted as GMG or an independent coding event.
As a rule of thumb, we do not partner with individuals, but rather established legal entities like non profits, schools, corporations and so forth.
Read on for details on how to participate.
//Workshop Overview
Date: Any time in 2022-2023
Age group: 8-15 years old
Recommended minimum capacity: 12 participants
Duration (options): 1 hour, 2 hours, or 4 hours
Curriculum: Making a platformer game in Stencyl (more info to follow)
Tuition: Free!
//Curriculum
During a 1-Day GMG Workshop, participants will learn about the process of video game development, which includes game design and programming.
GMG's workshops are designed to be accessible to girls of all coding levels.
//Goals
This workshop is aimed at beginners, with emphasis on instilling a love and excitement for game-making as well as creative expression.
Participants will create a 2d platformer game - think Super Mario Bros. The creation process will cover game-design concepts such as: player character, enemies, goals, levels, obstacles , and so forth. In addition, participants will learn to program and manipulate code blocks.
//What GMG Will Provide
Curriculum & Training Materials
The workshop covers the Platformer Tutorials found here: https://www.girlsmakegames.com/stencyl-tutorials
The video tutorials take ~1-2 hours to complete
Platformer Walkthrough PDF (written down version of the video tutorials) http://bit.ly/2zNy5hJ
If at any point you need help or clarification please do not hesitate to reach out to us!
Certificate Template
We encourage workshop hosts to print & award certificates to participants for completing the workshop! (template bundled with digital assets, see link below)
Digital Assets
GMG’s logo, postcards, stickers, etc. to print & give away to participants. https://goo.gl/JtqCzw
Free Digital Game copies
BlubBlub: Quest of the Blob is a classic platformer designed and created by Team BlubBlub, a talented group of middle school girls from the Girls Make Games summer camp in Boston, MA. Play the game at the workshop or email participants a copy afterwards!
Download a FREE copy here: https://girlsmakegames.itch.io/blubblub
//Host Partner Responsibilities
We have curriculum packaged up and ready to hand off, we just need amazing champions such as yourself to make it happen!
1. PERMISSION FROM GMG
While our curriculum is available for free, the use of GMG’s logo and branding requires explicit permission from the program. Email info@girlsmakegames.com with a brief outline of your intended workshops/events and we can help make a decision if the workshop may be promoted as GMG or an independent coding event.
As a rule of thumb, we do not partner with individuals, but rather established legal entities like non profits, schools, corporations and so forth.
2. Volunteer Instructors
GMG’s recommended ratio of instructors to participants is 1:5. Standard roles for a workshop with 20 participants:
1 Lead Instructor: This person teaches at the front of the class, leading students through the Platformer Walkthrough (ie Guided Tutorial).
4-5 Helpers: Answer questions around the classroom, keep all of the girls up to speed with the Lead Instructor.
All instructors and helpers should review the GMG Training Materials.
Instructors may be any gender, though we do recommend recruiting 30-50% female volunteers to show attendees that women do make games!
3. Venue Requirements
Space to run the workshop e.g. classroom, conference room
Equipment:
PC/Mac Computers *Optional. Participants may bring their own laptops with software installed prior to attending workshop
AV Setup. The Lead Instructor teaches using a projector or large TV for all participants to follow along from
Tables & chairs
4. Misc. Materials
Snacks/water/lunch *Optional. Best for workshops longer than 2 hours.
Pens/Stationery
5. Media
We would love to see how the game-making fun is happening in your city! You may assign 1 volunteer to document the event.
Video Interviews
Workshop Photos / Videos
6. Outreach to Schools/Community:
As you know your community best, we expect the host site to bear the burden for student outreach. We’re also happy to help make any connections in your city through GMG’s network - please let me know how we can help best.
7. Workshop Guidelines
To participate in the GMG Around the World initiative, we ask that you have legal guardians of workshop participants provide consent for attending the event (mandatory), as well as for consent for being photographed (optional). Depending on the laws in your country, you may also request guardians release you, the host site, for any liability.
///IMPORTANT NOTE///
All volunteer run GMG Workshops should be advertised as so. Flyers/Social Media outreach should include language that clarifies the workshop is not officially being run by GMG. (For example: “This is a volunteer-run workshop and not officially run by Girls Make Games”)
Please note, these guidelines are meant to help protect both the host site, staff and GMG against any potential issues as the workshop participants will be minors.
//PR/Advertising
Spread the word about your local GMG workshop! Use the following hashtags & tag Girls Make Games in your posts on social media.
#GMGAroundTheWorld
#GMG2022
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GirlsMakeGames
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/girlsmakegames
GMG Logo: Email info@girlsmakegames.com to request!
Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at info@girlsmakegames.com. We can’t wait to have you join us in this huge initiative <3!
//Success Stories
Since launching the initiative in 2018, we’ve had dozens of incredible volunteers run events the world over - from Lahore, Pakistan to Madrid, Spain and Manchester, UK!
To learn more about the workshops and how the volunteers went about organizing them, read their blog posts here: