Giving back to the changing educational landscape around us
SMU Guildhall is committed to being responsive to changing needs in gaming education, the gaming industry, in education at large, and in other industries across the world.
Our curriculum, technological packages and systems, research endeavors, and partnerships reflect our continual awareness and adaptation. As we advance toward our third decade, SMU Guildhall’s dedication to growth and societal betterment continues to define our approach to game development education.
Our commitment to bridging industry and academia is reinforced through a range of initiatives that allow us to benefit students, programs, and institutions beyond our walls. Some of our partnerships with local educational institutions have included:
- The Dallas Independent School District and Dallas County Community College District — Our partnership with DISD and DCCCD provides pathways for high school students to earn college credit in gaming and STEM. Dallas Independent School District requested our deputy directors to evaluate their curriculum and district-wide project plan, and we also serve as a Collegiate Academy Partner with DISD and the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) to provide new opportunities for high school students to earn free and transferable college credit, providing a pathway directly into continuing education for gaming and STEM. This includes a relationship with Emmett J. Conrad High School's Collegiate Academy, in which freshman will enter their game development and simulation program in the fall and when they finish High School, they will have an Associates Degree in Gaming and Simulation.
Learn More About Collegiate Academy
Professor Elizabeth Stringer speaking to Cohort 2 of Emmett J. Conrad High School's Collegiate Academy
- The Texas Workforce Commission and the Workforce of the Future Leadership Summit — In collaboration with the TWC, we work to prepare the next generation for emerging job markets. The Texas Workforce Commission collaborated with us on a grant for funding to create a training program for quality assurance testers. The Workforce of the Future Leadership Summit asked our Director to speak on "Jobs of the Future" with former First Lady of the United States, Laura Bush.
- SMU Upward Bound Pre-Collegiate Program — Alongside SMU Simmons School of Education and Human Development, we partner to help students recognize and develop their potential to excel in math and science, with the goal of transitioning from high school to their “best fit” college. SMU's Upward Bound services are provided at no cost to students or their parents. Students are provided hands-on learning experiences in classes such as engineering, robotics, biomedical sciences, 3-D printing, and information technology.
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SMU Upward Bound Students
- Collaborative Research & Events — Our faculty regularly work with other academic programs in game development education and higher education at large, as well as education-focused nonprofits, for learning initiatives, special events, and collaborative research. Some of the academic partners we have worked with include Johns Hopkins University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Louisiana State University, University of Oklahoma, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, the Center for Advanced Pathogen and Response Simulations (CAPTRS), Retina Foundation of Southwest, Literacy Instruction of Texas (LIFT), Dollar General Family Literacy Foundation, XPRIZE, talkStem, The Centsibility Project, and the PC Gaming Alliance.
Learn More About Our Collaborative Research Endeavors and Partnerships
