Man finds innovative way to teach tech skills to low-income youth using video games
Man finds innovative way to teach tech skills to low-income youth using video games
Man finds innovative way to teach tech skills to low-income youth using video games
By Aditi Bora
March 20, 2023
Summary
Damon Packwood, founder and executive director of Gameheads, a nonprofit teaching tech and video game design skills, is helping underserved youth gain the necessary tools to get jobs in the field.
Packwood, 35, from a "Working-class, low-income community" in San Francisco, was the first in his family to attend college via the Upward Bound program.
Packwood quit and went on to create a space that gives low-income youth and young people of color the training and resources to strengthen their IT, production, design and media skills through video games.
When Packwood started graduate school at California State University, the tech diversity movement in California was still a very new thing, citing the launches of Black Girls Code, Van Jones' #YesWeCode and Impact Oakland.
To grow his business, Packwood has partnered with other brands like EA, Oculus and XBOX, which are all featured partners on the Gameheads website.
Although these brands have helped with funding, there is more to business relationships than money, says Packwood.
"I would tell people to expand the way they think about partnerships. Most people just want a partner to write them a check or teach a class. If you expand, you'll find yourself making more partnerships. And then that's when the funding will start coming in because people now enjoy working with you. Because they see the impact." Packwood advises people to seek happiness in their professional lives and "Do the thing that you're just going to be doing anyway."
Reference
Bora, A. (2023, March 20). Man finds innovative way to teach tech skills to low-income youth. https://scoop.upworthy.com. Retrieved April 17, 2023, from https://scoop.upworthy.com/man-finds-innovative-way-to-teach-tech-skills-to-low-income-youth