BALTIMORE — The future is bright at The Digital Harbor Foundation Tech Lab, where students are being equipped with the vital skills needed in gaming and technology. Thursday night, the lab held an exciting showcase where students demonstrated their creativity and coding proficiency by presenting games they created from scratch.
The event highlighted the importance of fostering creativity and incorporating STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education in today’s young minds. Braelynn Shropshire, a 9-year-old coder, expressed her enthusiasm, saying, "You press the green flags, and then you press this, and then you have to catch all the apples, and the background will change every five seconds."
Children as young as 9 took the opportunity to display their coding creations, many of which they had worked on tirelessly for weeks. Braelynn shared, “It took me like 11 or 13 weeks.”
Ten-year-old Liam Banks also showcased his talent by creating an obstacle course game on Roblox. “It’s a bunch of blocks created to make parkour,” said Banks, who further explained the coding involved. “If you wanted to make some kill bricks, you would have to make scripts like this, and I think you should have one local in your script.”
While some children focused on game design, others explored applications that produce sound, video, and more, showcasing a diverse range of skills.
The foundation emphasizes that while the journey starts with developing video games, the coding skills students acquire can be applied in numerous other fields. Robert Moore, Tech Center Manager at The Digital Harbor Foundation, pointed out, “Our young people play video games all their lives, right? They’re young people, but how many have tried their hand in making video games?”
The Digital Harbor Foundation Tech Lab not only provides students with coding skills but also opens doors to industry-related careers, teaching them the standards necessary to succeed. Moore added, “When you talk about industry standards, we’re teaching young people industry standards to help them move to-- industry jobs.”
For aspiring game designer Liam, the experience has set him on the right path. “I want to be a game maker. I want to have some creativity so that the world can play the games I made for them,” he shared.
The program is free for parents and children, made possible through donations and grants that support the Digital Harbor Foundation. This effort allows children to train on advanced software and systems, nurturing the next generation of innovators and creators.