Champlain Offers offers intensive residential programs for high school students looking to explore or expand their knowledge of the world of game development. Both Academies utilize the methods of our highly acclaimed Game Studio and are taught by our own industry-expert faculty. Using the most current technology and modeled after the most successful game studios, these Academies offer an ideal setting in which to study game development in a hands-on, collaborative environment.
- Our curriculum is modeled on the collaborative approach of The Game Studio cohort at Champlain College. Students will have the opportunity to focus on their areas of special interest and, with the instruction of industry professionals, will finish the Academy by co-creating a finished portion of a game.
- Champlain Game Academy introduces high school students to all aspects of game development including game design, game art and animation, programming, sound, testing and production. Students will gain real-world experience by working as a development team that works together across all game development disciplines to build original game projects. At the end of the Academy, students will have a full understanding of the behind-the-scenes operations of the world's professional game studios.
- The program offers some time each day for students to relax with new friends. Students will get outside and enjoy green space on campus, enjoy a movie night or a game tournament and enjoy a day trip to Mt. Philo State Park.
- In the Champlain Game Academy students will:
- Gain experience in all aspects of game development, from game design and game art to game programming and game sound production
- Get a head start on building their portfolio
- Experience what it is like to study game development in college
- Develop a working game prototype
- Learn new skills and work collaboratively with other students who are also passionate about game development
- Get a head start on building their portfolio
- The Indie Game Studio offers students entering grade 11 through those who have completed their first year of college and who have experience with game development (using Unity, Unreal, or 3D modeling software such as Maya or Blender) the opportunity to experience what it’s like to start their own independent video game studio, work with a team, and develop game concepts! Students will learn about the various roles necessary for a successful game development team while getting intensive practice in collaborative problem-solving and effective communication.
- The course covers the full game development process, from concept to publishing through marketing and community development, teaching the language and values common to game development environments. Sessions will include in-class technical instruction and lessons on the game industry, but will mostly be structured like a real-world studio with critique and work sessions. Game concepts will be rapidly prototyped with easy-onboarding game engines.
The Indie Game Studio will cover:
- Game development roles and responsibilities
- Game development phases, processes and pipelines
- Team prototyping, problem-solving and iterative development
- Entrepreneurism, publishing, ethics and games as a business
- Personal and professional conduct for game development teams
- Giving, receiving and responding to critique
- Time management, personal initiative and responsibility
Located on the shores of Lake Champlain in beautiful Burlington, Vermont, Champlain College's Pre-College Summer Programs provide students with a robust learning environment and the opportunity to make new connections with peers and faculty who have shared STEM interests. (Space is limited.)
PROGRAM DATES: July 7 - 18, 2025.
PROGRAM FEE: $4,500. This all-inclusive package includes:
- Instruction
- Class and lab materials
- On-campus housing
- All meals
- Use of professional equipment and facilities
- Social and recreational activities
- Transportation to and from field trips and outings
- Program t-shirt
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