FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LOS ANGELES - May 24, 2021 - IGDA Foundation (IGDA-F), the non-profit organization dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive worldwide game development community, will take applications for its second Diverse Game Developers: Virtual Exchange event from today through Friday June 11, 2021. The program will run from Monday July 26, 2021 through Friday Sept. 3, 2021.
Last year’s participants have found jobs at companies such as Activision Blizzard, WB Boston, and Wizards of the Coast. One was a Forbes 30 Under 30, Games 2021 recipient. Games created by participants have received Emmy and IGF award nominations, been advertised in Times Square or featured in Time Magazine, or received grant money from the USDA.
Returning partners such as Xbox, Riot Games, Iron Galaxy Studios, and TeamPeople will again help fund the initiative. New partners joining the effort include Wizards of the Coast, Genvid Technologies, Latinx in Gaming, Dinosaur Polo Club,, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Direct Gaming.These organizations will also offer more than 60 industry veterans to mentor grantees and lead workshops.
Grantees will receive individual mentorship with industry veterans and leaders, an all access pass to Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2021, and have their work showcased via social media and public events in addition to gaining access to special programming tailored to one of three cohorts.
The Scholars cohort will consist of game or game adjacent students currently enrolled or recently graduated from university and focus on helping participants work towards getting a job. This includes a sub-cohort specifically for HBCU students.
Individuals from marginalized or underrepresented communities looking to transition into games from another industry will join the Velocity cohort and learn more about the industry, possible careers within it, and strategically crafting their career narrative for success in games.
For current mid-career game developers looking to grow into leadership roles or run their own studios and projects, the Next Gen Leaders cohort will provide guidance on career growth, entrepreneurship, and the fundamentals of being a mentor, with opportunities to actively mentor junior developers during the program.
The Diverse Game Developers: Virtual Exchange program replaces annual activities traditionally held during GDC to provide grantees from underrepresented communities around the world opportunities to build skills with experienced professionals.
“Last year COVID-19 forced our hand, but with the help of the biggest companies in gaming we were still able to give people from underrepresented groups around the world a leg up on their careers,” said Nika Nour, executive director, IGDA Foundation. “We’re very thankful to have the industry rally around us again so we can continue to fulfill our mission without asking grantees to endure the dangers and limitations of international travel during the ongoing pandemic.”
People interested in participating can learn more about eligibility and apply at the IGDA Foundation Diverse Game Developers: Virtual Exchange webpage. To stay up to date with the latest details, please follow @IGDAFoundation on Twitter.
About IGDA Foundation
The IGDA Foundation (IGDA-F) advances a diverse workforce and ecosystem for the video game industry to better reflect the millions of passionate players enjoying video games worldwide.
The IGDA-F focuses on promoting a game development community representative of, and welcoming and inclusive to, every person who wants to make games. The IGDA-F garners support for diversity and inclusion in the video game industry with initiatives such as its IGDA Scholars, Velocity, and Next Gen Leaders programs, with others in the pipeline.
The IGDA Foundation is a public charity, registered as a 501(c)3 organization in the United States.
To find out more about the IGDA Foundation’s initiatives visit http://igdafoundation.org.
Media Contacts
Lena LeRay / Robert Brown
Stride PR for IGDA Foundation