2024 GMG-Jr. Virtual Parents Guide
Welcome!
I am delighted to welcome you to the 11th summer of Girls Make Games!
Eleven years ago, I launched an educational games studio with my husband and co-founder, Ish. He loved video games with a passion, and had successfully convinced me to leave my think tank job in Washington DC to create games that would educate and empower kids. We were young, and our minds were bursting with ideas. But when I started building my team, I noticed our jobs ads were flooded with resumes from young men. When I went out to games conventions and showcased our game demo, kids lined up to playtest – nearly all boys.
“Where are the girls?” I couldn’t shake this question off.
Girls Make Games came into existence almost by chance. I envisioned it as a space where I could meet girls and understand their perspectives on video games. I wanted to learn how we could develop a company and products that would genuinely appeal to all kids, including girls.
That first camp in 2014 changed everything. I watched girls come out of their shell - they were no longer “the only girl in their friend group who likes games”. They didn’t have to hide, or pretend to be someone they were not. Amidst tears, and hugs, and “see-you-next-years”, I realized we just couldn’t close the door on these kids. Girls Make Games had become their summer home.
So, I went back to my team of 6 young men and said, “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to do this. Can we put a pause on our game for a year or two?”
Fast forward to a decade later, my first game is still half finished, but every year at camp I remind our incoming class they’re going to eventually help me finish it when they grow up!
Eleven years sounds like a lot, but it has gone by in the blink of an eye. I am grateful for the opportunity to spend these memorable summers with you all and for the trust you place in Girls Make Games. I am incredibly proud of all the talented game developers who have graduated from our summer camps, as well as those who will be joining us this year!
A big Thank You for being a part of GMG’s summer and community; I hope your daughter/camper has the most amazing summer and I look forward to hearing how it goes.
Here’s to another #GirlPower summer of game making!
Laila Shabir
Founder and CEO, Girls Make Games
//Camp Overview
Live, guided instruction.
All camp participants will learn fundamentals of game development through group instruction led by a mentor (Camp Counselor)
Small groups of 4-5 participants per Counselor
Each participant will collaborate on a team game with their group to be entered to Demo Day, a chance to present their game and win prizes!
Community building (i.e. make new friends!) via online games, community contests and more!
Meet industry role models: Speaker sessions and special modules led by industry experts. A chance to learn about careers and pathways in the video games industry
//Camp Logistics, Dates & Hours
//CAMP DELIVERY:
All camp instruction and interaction will be delivered via Zoom
//CAMP DATES:
July 8-26, 2024 (Mon-Fri only)
//CAMP HOURS & SCHEDULE:
10AM - 2:00PM daily, optional Office Hours from 2:00PM-3:00PM
See full breakdown in “Daily Agenda” below.
Note: All times below are in Eastern Time - EST
//Daily Agenda
10 - 10:30 AM
// Games & Research Time 🎮 (Zoom)
10:30 - 12 PM
// Game Dev Instruction aka Make your Game! 👩💻 (Zoom)
12:00 - 1:00 PM
// Lunch Break 🥪 (independent, campers away from computer)
1:00 PM - 1:30 PM
// Afternoon Games Session - Make Friends! 🎮 (Zoom)
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
// Industry Speaker Session 🎤 (Zoom)
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM [OPTIONAL]
// Team Office Hours
Have questions? Want tips on your game?
Use this time to speak to your counselor or just build your team game together!
*The schedule does not apply to: Final Presentations Day [Last day of camp]
// Back to Contents
//Three Week Overview
Our camp curriculum is designed to encourage exploration of game making tools in a safe, collaborative setting. Campers will experience community building through team games as well as participate in fun games + activities and contests!
//WEEK 1
Introduction to fundamentals of Game Design and camp game engine: Construct 3. Later in the week, campers within the same virtual classroom will form a team + start brainstorming ideas for a game together that they will work on for the rest of camp.
//WEEK 2
Campers continue to experiment and expand their knowledge of Construct 3, building their games and creating art. The goal of the second week is to have a playable demo demonstrating core game mechanics and game world.
//WEEK 3
Campers spend 2-3 days polishing their games to be complete and playable, then learn to ‘pitch’ their games to their group. Campers selected to present at Demo Day will be notified at the end of camp!
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//Curriculum Topics
In a span of 3 weeks, participants cover topics including:
1. GAME DESIGN
2. FUNDAMENTALS OF GAME PROGRAMMING
—Game logic, using visual scripting in Construct 3
3. GAME ART –
—Creating, animating and importing art assets
4. MUSIC AND AUDIO ENGINEERING –
—Creating, editing, and importing game audio
5. PITCHING AND PRESENTATION SKILLS
6. OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:
Industry Guest Speakers
Games and Contests
Enter Demo Day for a chance to win Prizes sponsored by GMG’s Partners - Take Two Interactive, Nintendo of America, Crystal Dynamics, PlayStation and more!
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//Demo Day & National Competition
Our favorite day of the year! This year, top 3 games from each category – Teen and Jr. — from around the country will present their game and vision to a panel of judges and live online audience.
Demo Day winners will receive exciting prizes sponsored by GMG’s Partners: Take Two Interactive, Crystal Dynamics, Nintendo of America, PlayStation and more!
Demo Day 2024 DATES TBA
Watch the 2023 Virtual Demo Day
2015 Demo Day held at Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California
Meet the 2023 Winners here, and check out the
published games for Winners from 2014-2019!
// Technical Requirements
INTERNET CONNECTION
COMPUTER MOUSE
WEBCAM AND MICROPHONE
ONE OF THE SUPPORTED WEB BROWSERS:
Google Chrome 80+ Firefox 102+ Safari 14.1+ Microsoft Edge 80+
*Google Chrome preferred*
ONE OF THE SUPPORTED OS:WINDOWS:
Windows: Windows 10, 11 or newer
Mac: OS X / macOS 10.13 or newer
Chrome OS: Any Chrome OS device updated to v80+
Please be sure to provide administrator access on your child’s device or we may have to call you during camp for login information!
//Who’s Teaching?
Our staff comprises of independent game developers as well as students from some of the top Computer Science and Game Dev programs in the country like USC, MIT, DigiPen, and UT Austin.
Industry Guest Speakers share their expertise and journey to inspire young game devs. Past speakers include industry veterans such as Tim Schafer (creator of Psychonauts), Kellee Santiago (Journey, Flow), Pavni Diwanji (VP Engineering, Google)
//Prep for Camp
Can’t wait for camp? We totally get it! :D
Here are a few things you can get started on before joining us:
• Brainstorm ideas and game genres:
One of the best parts about making games is researching and brainstorming what your game is going to be about. Make sure to take notes, draw sketches and bring them in at camp!
• Review Game Engines
Take a look at the game engine we’ll be working in: Construct 3. This is not a requirement and we’ll cover pretty much everything from scratch, so no worries if you don’t get to it!
• Play the 2023 Demo day Finalists games!
2023 Demo Day Finalists Games: https://www.girlsmakegames.com/2023-demo-day. All of the games are built in Construct 3 by campers. This helps give an idea of what you can do in just 2-3 weeks! :)
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//Summer Camp FAQs
WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO REACH GMG?
Email support@girlsmakegames.com or call our HQ (833) 464-7877 or (833) GMG-SUPP :). Please note this number is only active for the duration of the camp, Mon-Fri, 9:30am-7pm Eastern Time (EST), July 8-26, 2024.
MY DAUGHTER HAS NEVER PROGRAMMED BEFORE, IS THIS CAMP RIGHT FOR HER?
That’s A-OK! Our curriculum is designed to be flexible for all age groups and coding levels. Campers work in teams of 3-5, supported by a dedicated team counselor. Nearly 2/3rds of our summer camp attendees have limited coding experience, so your daughter will have plenty company :)
MY DAUGHTER HAS EXTENSIVE PROGRAMMING EXPERIENCE AND HAS MADE SEVERAL APPS, IS THIS CAMP RIGHT FOR HER
Fantastic! Making a team game is a great way for your daughter to flex her coding muscles, and help bring her team’s vision to life. There’s so much more to game development than programming alone - game design, art, animation, teamwork, even marketing and entrepreneurship!
DO KIDS SPEND ALL DAY IN FRONT OF A COMPUTER, CODING?
Not at all. It’s summer! We take frequent breaks and make sure we get some play time away from the computers :)
WHAT CODING LANGUAGES WILL MY DAUGHTER LEARN?
We teach game design and development using powerful game engines like Construct 3, Unreal, and Unity. This year students will learn Construct 3.
CAN MY CHILD BE IN THE SAME GROUP AS THEIR FRIEND?
Yes, of course! If you haven’t already filled this info on the registration form, please let us know at support@girlsmakegames.com who your child would like to group with
WHERE CAN WE SEE MORE PICTURES OF WHAT CAMP LOOKS LIKE?
Our Facebook page is a treasure trove :) https://www.facebook.com/girlsmakegames/photos_stream
CAN WE MISS A DAY(S)?
Generally that’s OK. Counselors may assign homework to make up for the lost time, and campers can spend Office Hours catching up with their Counselor.
DOES MY CHILD NEED TO HAVE THEIR CAMERA ON ZOOM?
We highly encourage our campers to have their cameras on to engage with their counselor and peers if they are comfortable doing so. However, it is not a requirement.
WHAT IS YOUR COVID-19 POLICY AND WHAT IF MY CHILD IS SICK?
GMG is committed to ensuring our participants have a safe and enjoyable summer camp with us. Parents can email support@girlsmakegames.com to notify of sickness so we can inform the team or the counselor.
WHO ARE THE CAMP COUNSELORS/TEACHERS/SPEAKERS?
Our staff comprises of independent game developers as well as students from some of the top Computer Science and Game Design programs in the country like USC, MIT, DigiPen, and UT Austin.
Industry Guest Speakers share their expertise and journey to inspire young game devs. Past speakers include industry veterans such as Tim Schafer (creator of Psychonauts), Kellee Santiago (Journey, Flow), and Phil Spencer (President, Xbox).
CAN I SIT IN WITH MY CHILD DURING CAMP/SPEAKER SESSIONS?
While we want parents to be very involved in their child’s growth, our mission is to create a safe fun space for our campers. Please make every effort to remain off-camera and to refrain from participating in the camp/speaker sessions. If you have any questions that you would like to ask the speakers or staff, please email us at support@girlsmakegames.com and we can assist.
WILL MY CHILD BE ABLE TO VIEW RECORDINGS OF CAMP LESSONS?
No, however we have video tutorials and documents for Construct 3 for reference our website https://www.girlsmakegames.com/construct-3-tutorials
CAN MY CHILD CONTACT THEIR COUNSELOR AFTER CAMP?
If your child has questions for their counselor after camp, they can reach out to GMG at support@girlsmakegames.com
HOW DO WE KEEP THE SPIRIT OF GMG GOING AFTER CAMP?
GMG’s Portal has a ton of awesome resources for anyone who wishes to continue growing their game dev skills. We also encourage our campers to return at other year-round GMG events! Please sign up on GMG’s mailing list on our home page to receive more GMG news.
What is your refund policy?
We offer 100% refund through June 23rd, none thereafter. Please see GMG Terms & Conditions for more info.
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//Contact GMG
Email: support@girlsmakegames.com or fill out the contact form on the website.
Tel: (833) GMG-SUPP [(833) 464-7877]
Please note this number is only active for the duration of the camp, 9:30am-7pm Eastern Time EDT, July 8-26, 2024
Twitter: https://twitter.com/girlsmakegames
#GirlsMakeGames #GMG2024
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/girlsmakegames
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlsmakegames/
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With camps both virtual and in person, we wanted to provide a sense of connection and community to all campers wherever they are in the world. To that end, we have built a small, closed (private) website, titled “GMG World” that will only be accessed by our summer camp community.
GMG World will feature campers, staff and speaker profiles, as well as game dev tutorials and camp-wide announcements.
To get started, please have your camper fill out this brief form:
https://bit.ly/2024-gmg-world-profileDeadline to submit form: Friday, June 28th
Note: Campers may choose to remain anonymous by using an alias/avatar. We would still love for them to create an entry and share a little bit about themselves (favorite games and so forth).