We are excited and honored to announce that NYVGCC is a recipient of a Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). This award will be instrumental in the expansion of our Playing With Purpose games education program, bringing writing-intensive education in journalism and narrative writing directly to underserved students here in New York State.

NYVGCC has a long history of providing quality, engaging education to New York City students. With this funding, NYVGCC will, for the first time, expand our reach to students throughout New York State. These classes will not only provide students with transferable skills in writing, communication, and teambuilding, they will celebrate and inform students about the American video game industry, the artistry of game making, and the career pathways available to them.

Over the last year, our team has worked tirelessly to strengthen our Playing With Purpose classes. In the 2025-2026 school year, NYVGCC implemented six classes at schools across New York City. We have expanded our offerings to adapt curriculum through direct collaborations with educators at our partner schools. Playing With Purpose is aligned with the New York State Next Gen Standards, and the NYVGCC team works directly with educators to pinpoint student needs and adapt curriculum accordingly. We will continue to build and grow our offerings to deserving students across New York State.

We have already begun outreach to schools in the Hudson Valley. We cannot wait to meet with passionate educators and enthusiastic students to bring this new project to life.

If you are a New York educator interested in running a Playing With Purpose course, contact us here. We can’t wait to hear from you!

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