HGS Newsletter Archive
Welcome to our Newsletter Archive! We send out a quarterly newsletter about all the happenings within our Mentoring Program, Gaming Pathways Program, and all the other programs and projects that HGS touches. Keep reading to browse the past newsletters we have circulated.
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SUMMER 2024 NEWSLETTER
SPRING 2024 NEWSLETTER
In this edition, we look back at the successful launch of Video Games: The Great Connector, supported by the generous grants from NYSCA, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Harlem Community Development Corporation, Hyde & Watson, and others.
We also celebrate the achievements of our Dream + Inspire: Mentoring Future Leaders Program, with many students graduating high school and heading to college, and share highlights from our collaboration with the City College of New York (CCNY), and the Gaming Pathways Program.
Video Games: The Great Connector
One of the Gallery’s greatest endeavors this year was creating and launching the Exhibition: Video Games: The Great Connector, an exhibition which explores how youth use games to form connections with themselves, their communities, and their future.
The exhibition includes video games, but it also features participatory activities, art stations, selfie opportunities, bios of contemporary game designers, and more.
Admission to the exhibition was free and open to the public from February 3, 2024, through March 30, 2024, at the 60-year-old Harlem School of the Arts.
During its 8-week run, over 3,500 students, teachers and parents visited the exhibition.
CUNY eSports Tournament
On Saturday August 31st, the Harlem Gallery of Science hosted a CUNY Tournament with the videogame VALORANT, at OS NYC, a well-established venue for gaming, livestreaming and esports competitions in New York City. The City College of New York, Brooklyn College, Hunter College, Hostos College, Baruch, and a final CUNY Student team all participated in a day's long, single elimination tournament, with guests viewing the action in-person and virtually through the CCNY Esports Club twitch account.
After long and incredibly entertaining matches, City College and Brooklyn College once again squared off in the grand finals of the tournament, with City College ultimately coming ahead and claiming victory.
Members of the clubs from the various colleges attended in person to watch the action and cheer on their respective schools, and further strengthen their community bonds that the CUNY Esports scene shares among themselves.
The event boasted around 70 in-person attendees, as well as over 600 virtual viewers of the stream across the 7 hours of runtime during the day. It is the 3rd year in a row that the Gallery runs and event of this nature, but the first time that we partnered with an outside organization for space and equipment, so a special thanks to OS NYC for the space and equipment in this event!
Introducing the Star Stuff Edu Project
Animo Games, a small California-based studio, crafts lovable puzzle adventures. Led by Sylvia Aguiñaga, a game and learning designer passionate about video games as learning tools, the studio was founded in 2021. Three years later, they’re celebrating their first commercial release, Star Stuff—a programming puzzler that embodies their love for games, coding, and teaching.
About The Star Stuff Edu Project
Animo Games is committed to making their games accessible to students everywhere. This Fall, they’re launching Star Stuff Edu—a free, browser-playable version of Star Stuff with a curated set of levels and an educator guide for classroom use. Join the waitlist to stay updated on the release!
Awards & Recognition
GEE Award for Informal Learning (2023)
Harlem Gallery of Science ‘Video Games: The Great Connector’ Exhibitor (2024)
International Serious Play Award for K-12 Education (2024)
Featured in Forbes "Best Family Video Games of 2024"
The Star Stuff Edu Project is based off of the full game available for purchase here.
On February 2, 2024, the Harlem Gallery of Science held the opening reception for Video Games: The Great Connector at the Harlem School of the Arts.
The event featured welcoming remarks from Stan Altman, President of the Harlem Gallery of Science and Director of the Gaming Pathways Program, and James Horton, President of the Harlem School of the Arts. The event was emceed by Karen Murray and Curtis Archer, a notable Harlem couple and included speakers: Pat Kaufman, Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President, CCNY Provost Tony Liss, Baron Carr of The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, and Sylvia Aguiñaga, a game designer who game is featured in the exhibition.
Guests enjoyed interactive exhibits and gaming opportunities throughout the evening. You can view highlights from the opening night ceremony below.
A pop-up version of Video Games: The Great Connector has been created and was exhibited for the first time on Saturday, May 11 at the mid-Manhattan branch of the New York Public Library as part of their first ever gaming career day. Over 150 individuals viewed this pop-up exhibition. The Harlem Gallery of Science has been invited to host the pop-up Video Games: The Great Connector on June 8 as part of the New York City’s Department of Education Battle of the Boroughs being held at the Brooklyn Public Library.
Future Plans for Video Games: The Great Connector include leasing the Exhibition for showings at venues across New York State and beyond.
The Gaming Pathways Program
The Harlem Gallery of Science continues to play an important role in the Gaming Pathways Program, focusing on expanding the ecosystem the Program is building to support New York City’s effort to expand the digital game industry in the city as well as expand the industry’s workforce to reflect the cultural, ethnic and gender diversity of city “gamers.”
The Mayor’s Video Game Industry Council held its February 2024 meeting at the Harlem School of the Arts, showcasing the Great Connector Exhibition to the Council members.
As a result of the Exhibition’s popularity among its students, the Harlem School of the Arts will
start a new program called GameOn, preparing high school students for admission to the City College program in digital game development.
The Gallery is part of a team that includes City College and Epic Games advising the Harlem School of the Arts on the design of its program.
Students involved in the Gaming Pathways program visited Microsoft Offices to learn from Xbox NYC staff about careers in gaming.
The Exhibition provided the Gallery’s partner Urban Arts the opportunity to include a visit to the Exhibition with a masterclass in game design. Urban Arts held a total of three masterclasses in game design at the Harlem School of the Arts. Urban Arts also showcased the educational videos it produced as part of AT&T’s Achievery Program.
Winners of the Unreleased Games Arcade
🏆Most Anticipated Game of 2024:
“Sukokill” by Leo Lui
🏆Best Visual Design:
“Big Boss” by Hamra Digital
🏆Best Game Mechanics:
“Let Him Cook” by Hector Feliciano, John Snyder, Nick Perell, Zach Stanford
🏆Best Narrative:
“Report on the Death of Robert Evergreen” by The Local Rag
Dream + Inspire: Mentoring Future Leaders Program
The Harlem Gallery of Science's Mentoring Program for the 2023/24 term launched in October with three Mentor Leaders, nine Mentors, and 17 Mentees, focusing on empowering youth from underserved communities in upper Manhattan and the south Bronx through STEAM, with an emphasis on technology. Utilizing the online platform Hats & Ladders, the program has enhanced career exploration and mentor-mentee interactions, making it easier for students to explore diverse career paths.
We are excited to announce that the program recently received $50,000 in funding from The Pinkerton Foundation, supporting our continued efforts to inspire and guide young minds.
Sophie Gerson Healthy Youth Gala
Dr. Stan Altman, President of HGS, will be honored at the upcoming Gala on June 5 of the Sophie Gerson Healthy Youth Foundation (SGHY). This event recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to improving the lives of young people. Dr. Altman is being celebrated for his remarkable efforts in advancing education and expanding opportunities for underserved youth.
SGHY is particularly impressed with his innovative methods for teaching science and math, which they plan to incorporate into their programs. The Gala raises funds to provide summer camp experiences for children from low-income families, giving them a rare opportunity to explore nature and enjoy new experiences.
Video Games: The Great Connector
The Video Games: The Great Connector exhibition ran at Harlem School of the Arts from February 3 through March 30, 2024.
During its 8-week run, over 3,500 visitors attended, including 2,834 K-12 students from various New York City boroughs—32.0% from Manhattan, 28.6% from Brooklyn, and 20.3% from the Bronx, and 19.1% from Queens.
An analysis of the 96 schools that participated revealed that 90.6% of these institutions serve a diverse population, with 75% of the schools catering to 80% or more students of color.
Waffle Games
The 2024 Waffle Games event brought together 470 attendees, representing 56 schools, including 16 of the 25 CUNY schools. The event drew participants from across the U.S. from coast to coast, and even attendees from Canada.
Waffle Games, organized by the EGD (Esports and Game Design) Collective, is an annual student-led convention held each spring.
This year’s event featured over 450 students, recent graduates, and industry professionals who gathered at City College of New York for the NYC Summer of Games.
The expo hall showcased over 50 exhibitors, including game developers, community groups, and artists. Competitions were held for popular games such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, and Mario Kart.
Notable Sessions:
Kate Edwards, keynote speaker, provided insights on balancing company values with market demands in the gaming industry.
Decoy Games shared their journey from a small indie team to a successful studio, offering advice for aspiring developers.
Alexander Raff, Director of Esports at Brooklyn College, discussed strategies for building strong collegiate esports programs.
The event was organized by 23 students and recent graduates, including 14 from the CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies. The committee also included members from Hunter College, City College, Queens College, Fordham, NYU, and The New School. Sponsorship came from Gaming Pathways, Harlem Gallery of Science, and Coolmath Games.
Video Game Camp 2024
HGS, in collaboration with the Harlem School of the Arts (HSA), City College of New York (CCNY), and Epic Games, launched Video Game Camp, an innovative summer program which combined gaming with education.
Video Game Camp built on the success of HGS’s previous exhibit, "Video Games: The Great Connector," and was designed to provide youth with hands-on experience in game development while enhancing their STEM skills.
The program brought together seven students from the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) for a seven-week immersive learning experience. Over half of the participants are female, highlighting the program's commitment to fostering diversity in the gaming industry.
Video Game Camp implemented a curriculum that was focused on game production, particularly coding. Using popular tools like Fortnite and Unreal Engine for Fortnite, students were introduced to game design and development concepts in a way that resonates with their interests. The curriculum, based on educational materials provided by Epic Games, allowed for flexibility and adaptation to meet the needs of each student.
Faculty from CCNY’s Digital Game Development program served as the educators for this program. The camp was held at Harlem School of the Arts, which built a computer lab specifically to support this initiative. Epic Games also contributed significantly by providing educational materials, consultation, and ongoing support.
Throughout the week, students engaged in various coding and game development activities from Monday through Thursday. Fridays were dedicated to creative exploration, where students had the freedom to work on their individual game projects and test each other’s creations.
Video Game Camp was a wonderful opportunity for youth from underserved areas to explore their creativity, develop valuable technical skills, and gain exposure to potential career paths in the gaming industry. HGS, HSA, CCNY, and Epic Games are proud to have collaborated on this initiative, empowering the next generation of game developers and STEM professionals in NYC.
Thank You to Harlem Community Development Corporation!
The Harlem Community Development Corporation (HCDC) plays a vital role in promoting economic growth and revitalization in Harlem. Established to foster community development, HCDC focuses on attracting investments, supporting local businesses, and improving the overall quality of life in the area. The agency's efforts include creating affordable housing, enhancing public spaces, and facilitating job creation through various initiatives.
HGS has received a $35,497 grant from HCDC. This funding supports additional showings of the Video Games: The Great Connector exhibition.
HGS is in discussions with The City College of New York to host the exhibition on its Harlem campus in spring 2025. In addition, HGS plans to bring a pop-up version of the exhibition to schools in School District 5, West Harlem.
HCDC’s support for HGS emphasizes its commitment to empowering the community through education and innovation. By backing HGS, HCDC helps advance STEM education, cultural enrichment, and opportunities for Harlem residents, ensuring that investments in the area benefit both current and future generations.
