Expanding Access tO Stem education
Gearbox Gives is working to pass along the joys of technology and interactive entertainment to the next generation of creatives. Through partnerships with organizations and educational institutions from Texas to Kenya, we are expanding access to STEM education, refining technology curricula, and engaging directly with students interested in video games.
Our approach to STEM education through video games does not limit students to just the interactive entertainment industry though. Rather, they build a solid foundation to do nearly anything. These are transferable skills that encourage STEM exploration. Students will have the ability to quickly learn other coding languages, gain hands-on experience with hardware in addition to software, be introduced to assembly and machine code, and even explore robotics.
Longview Independent School District
To foster the next generation of diverse developers and creators, Gearbox is partnered with Longview ISD, an East Texas school district to develop, implement, and execute a STEM program to educate elementary through high school students in STEM fields and develop the technical skills needed to work in our industry.
In close partnership with the fantastic teachers and administrators in Longview, the Gearbox Gives team developed a curriculum that serves as a pathway to employment in the video game industry. Starting with fourth graders in Longview ISD, and guiding them along a sequenced curriculum, students will graduate high school already possessing the requisite expertise to be employable in the video game industry.
Longview was selected not only because it is close to home, but because it is a very diverse district, which reflects Gearbox’s commitment to increasing diversity in the video game industry and STEM professions writ large.
In 2020, the program was rolled out in three Longview ISD schools, and in 2021 it was expanded to six. In the 2022-2023 school year, we are operating in six schools again, educating over 600 students. The program has educated 2,000 students total.
"We are extremely grateful for the ongoing support and expertise that Gearbox Software has provided to our students and teachers. Their involvement has allowed us to enhance our curriculum, offer new and exciting opportunities to our students, and better prepare them for success in the 21st century workforce. We are confident that the skills and experiences gained through this program will have a lasting impact on our students' futures and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Gearbox Software for years to come." - Horace Williams, Deputy Superintendent of Longview Independent School District
Los Angeles Unified School District
For the 2022-2023 year, Gearbox Gives conducted teacher training at the RFK School for the Visual Arts & Humanities to help the school roll out a pilot of Gearbox’s STEM curriculum. As a majority minority school, educating students at RFK is central to Gearbox’s work to increase diversity in the industry. The Gearbox Gives team is also scheduling industry speakers and project judging for end-of-year presentations.
Nairobi, Kenya
In addition to bolstering STEM education at home, Gearbox has expanded its focus and is working to expand equity in education globally. In 2018, through a partnership with Atamiza, Gearbox rolled out its curriculum in Kenya. This works to not only bring game development–focused STEM education to a diverse array of students, but also stress test teaching the curriculum in the cloud.