Oakland Program Turns Bay Area Youth into Video Game Developers

The Bay Area is home to a thriving video game industry, but many local kids, especially those of color, don’t see career opportunities in it. Several years ago, Damon Packwood founded Gameheads to help college students develop the skills and expertise to create their own video games and land jobs in the field. Participants in the Oakland-based program have built games that reflect their own interests and experiences including a game on Oakland sideshows and one on the slave trade in Cuba. We’ll talk with Packwood and David Brancaccio, host of the Marketplace morning report which has launched a series, “Skin in the Game,” that explores career, economics, and equity issues through the lens of video games.

Guests:

Damon Packwood, founder and executive director, Gameheads - an Oakland-based video game training program for young people

David Brancaccio, host and senior editor, Marketplace Morning Report

Camila Garcia Frausto, student, Gameheads; fourth year student and film studies major at UC Berkeley

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