When you walk into Localhost in Philadelphia, the video game and esports venue located on Nerd Street in the heart of Philly, you won’t just find gamers playing on the fast, state-of-the-art PCs and consoles. The high-tech gaming venue has become a home for organizations, groups and communities who want to use the space because of the access to technology it offers.

Video games are a powerful way to introduce young people to the power of technology. CreateAccess and Launchpad Philly know this, which is why they used Localhost for their 3D creation classes using Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) this summer.

According to Liz Dailey, co-founder and CEO of CreateAccess, UEFN is a platform for creative experiences that combines the power and features of the Unreal Engine with Fortnite assets.

Photo credit: CreateAccess

“Creators can create Fortnite levels using the same tools that professional creators use, and personalize and customize a 3D experience in Fortnite using both the drag-and-drop assets that already exist in the Fortnite library, as well as assets they bring with them or create themselves,” she said. “So they can create an avatar of themselves, or we show them how to create models of objects in the real world and bring those with them. They can play with environmental features, animations, visual effects, and at the end, the hope is, they have this very personal Fortnite island that they’ve created.”

Bring your group to Localhost!

On August 6, students showcased their creations to conclude their six-week experience. The whimsical creations included a flying snowman, giant cat statues and a race track set in an arctic landscape. One student’s project included an area where a row of giant strawberries are pushed out of the way to clear a path at the push of a button. One student’s project features an area reminiscent of Star Wars, while another student created a giant slingshot that can launch a man into unknown realms.

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CreateAccess’s 3D creation course is just one of the cool classes these students were able to take this summer as part of Launchpad’s summer program. Nick Imparato, program director at Launchpad High School, said his nonprofit works with over 20 high schools in the area to find students for their year-round program, which offers underrepresented student groups exposure to engineering and programming, as well as the career opportunities that come from those fields.

These Launchpad summer students are supported by a group of CreateAccess interns, who Dailey says are “the heart of our programs.” They identify beginner-friendly project workflows, create guides, and provide hands-on classroom support. The interns include a couple of rising high school students, a couple of high school seniors—one is going to Villanova, the other to Cornell—students from Drexel and the University of Pennsylvania, and a second-year Launchpad student who is an aspiring game developer.

Photo credit: CreateAccess

“The students were wonderful to work with,” said aspiring game developer Kareem. “They all had such good ideas for what they wanted to do and they all showed a desire to learn more…”

This course was definitely a success with the students.

“The best thing about the course was that we were able to immerse ourselves in Fortnite and build an island where we could let our imagination run wild!” said Zahir Alston, one of the course participants.

“We were amazed (but not surprised!) by the students’ creativity and engagement and how quickly they learned the skills we taught them,” Dailey said. “They readily embraced the playful, joyful spirit of our programs and we had a blast.”

Create Access x Launchpad x Localhost

Dailey founded CreateAccess with her partner Patrick Cozzi, CEO of Philadelphia-based geospatial company Cesium, to inspire, encourage and support kids interested in 3D creation. Using the popular video game Fortnite as an introduction to this type of technology made a lot of sense.

“It’s a lure because a lot of young people know Fortnite, and it helps build trust because there are so many drag-and-drop tools that are intuitive,” Dailey said. “So trust-building is really important to us – we kind of help people get over the hurdle of thinking, ‘Oh my god, there’s this big interface with all these buttons!'”

Partnering with Launchpad to run these 3D creation courses was a no-brainer. According to Dailey, Launchpad offers “amazing technical skills training and professional development for folks who are underrepresented in tech.” Launchpad works with high school students to help them develop the skills they need for successful careers in tech.

Photo credit: CreateAccess

“Launchpad is a two-and-a-half-year program, and we really view it as … workforce development,” Imparato said. “So we work with students while they’re still in high school, but we also stay with them after they graduate high school and really try to act as a bridge between high school graduation and a lucrative career.”

Hosting these courses at Localhost was a natural choice. Not only is Nerd Street, Localhost’s parent company, committed to providing greater access to the video game industry, but Localhost is an ideal location for a course like this.

Read more: Why Localhost in Philadelphia is a home for young gamers

Localhost’s location at 401 N. Broad St. in Center City is already a technology hub that provided access to technology this summer to nearly 1,000 children from the Philadelphia Parks & Recreation department, as well as hundreds more from local schools, nonprofits, and Nerd Street’s own Camp Localhost. Additionally, Localhost is no stranger to serving as a place for technology classes and communities. The Uncommon Individual Foundation (UIF) has held coding classes at Localhost.

“Where could we connect students to powerful PCs that would be in a location that would be convenient for students and easy to reach by public transportation, and where could we have enough devices that could do things effectively?” Imparato wondered.

Photo credit: CreateAccess

Localhost just made sense and the site was a hit with students.

“This is my first time attending something like this and it was AMAZING. I would definitely come here in my spare time!” said Alston.

With over 100 PCs, a capacity for 800 people, and 1500 square feet of space with ample stage space for presentations, Localhost in Philadelphia is unparalleled when it comes to the breadth and depth of gaming and technology access it offers in the city.

More than just fun and video games

Of course, not every child in this class is a gamer or wants to get into video game development.

“We have a student who is not a gamer and is not that into gaming, but she is very interested in fashion,” Dailey said. “And we actually showed her some tools that allow you to dress an avatar in different clothes.”

The beauty of the technical skills taught in this video game-centered course is their wide applicability.

“We often start our sessions with a mini-presentation about the connections between the skills learned and opportunities in the tech field. ‘These animation skills you’re learning can also be useful in forensics. You can use motion capture in medicine or augmented reality in sports,'” Dailey said. “And so I think it’s really important for us to have students see those connections and be able to imagine themselves in roles working in these different fields.”

Photo credit: CreateAccess

“I think both of our organizations place a lot of emphasis on employer retention,” Imparato added. “We don’t just teach them because it’s good to know. We get input from employers about what skills are currently in demand and are lacking in the current workforce, and how we can provide young adults with those skills or a set of experiences that will encourage them to pursue those skills on their own or dive deeper into them.”

And the technology experience students have goes even beyond career orientation and preparation. Imparato believes this course did an excellent job of encouraging students to use technology to explore their own identities and passions.

“I think that’s been my biggest achievement for CreateAccess and the work we’ve been able to do at Localhost. Students see technology as a way to learn more about themselves and share aspects of themselves and their identities with their communities.”

Even though the students finish their work in this course, the hope is that this is not the end, but the beginning of these children’s love for technology and the possibilities it offers. All in all, the course is a royal victory.

Photo credit Main photo: CreateAccess