Computer science is one of the largest and highest-paying professional fields. The number of jobs is growing faster than the number of people trained to fill them. Loften High School’s Academy of Gaming and Mobile Apps helps students by uniquely preparing them to work in the technology sector and fill that gap.
The local high school is helping students build their creativity, bring their dreams to life and prepare them for careers in computer science. For the last decade, Loften High School has been teaching them programming through video game design.
“My favorite part about this program is that the students have the ability to dream and carve their own plan through the academy,” said Eric Baez, the academy director. “They get to learn how to learn, and that is key in tech.”
The Academy of Gaming and Mobile Apps lasts all four years of high school. Students take traditional subjects like English, math and science, as well as technology courses. They also learn how to successfully operate in a professional setting.
Baez said after the students finish their foundations course, he puts them into development teams. There, they will follow a professional model for creating their games or applications. Freshman and sophomore students are tasked with designing and creating a 2D game, and the juniors and seniors work on 3D and virtual reality games.
“My goal for the students is that they create a game themselves from scratch,” he said.
To create these games, the students use the same state-of-the-art computer software programs as professionals. They learn things like computer programming, video editing and all other necessary skills. Additionally, the traditional high school courses are represented in that classwork.
“The core disciplines are included in every course,” said Baez. “For example, ninth graders have a lot of reading no matter the program.”
Most importantly though, the academy goes beyond creating computer games. Students also learn higher-order reasoning, problem-solving skills and how to apply them in the real world.
After graduation, their classes will provide a transcript that allows them to either attend a four-year university or get a job in entry-level programming.
Loften High School is a magnet school with less than 300 students. All students in the Alachua County Public School District are eligible to attend. The Academy of Gaming and Mobile Apps accepts 25-30 students each year.
For information on how to apply or about the Loften High School’s other professional academies, go to: https://www.sbac.edu/loften.
By Celia Goodyear.