Gaming Academy

Who are we?

 

The Gaming Academy began as an initiative to encourage Lebanese youth affected by the Beirut port blast to reconnect with their creativity through game development. Currently, the Gaming Academy is open to the MENA region through a 6-8 week program covering basics of game design, programming, art, music, and more. Our program focuses on students from underrepresented communities as they deserve to have accessible resources, allowing them to learn making games in a welcoming environment with like minded people.

The Gaming Academy has over 500 participants yearly. First year winners became part of the steering team that creates more impact and learning for everyone involved. Stay tuned for new workshops every summer!

Previous Runs of the Gaming Academy at SAIL:

FAQ

Projects & Game Jams:

 

Towards a Free Palestine: 

“Towards a Free Palestine” is a game jam seeking global participation, particularly from Palestinians and the SWANA region, to promote inclusivity and creativity in imagining roads towards a free Palestine.

  • Dates of the jam: Nov 24- Dec 10, 2023
  • Number of participants: 64
  • Games created: 9

Browse the Games here!

 

 

Education Forum

Connecting over 40 educators across Lebanon in a full-day event to brainstorm and discuss various forms of public school empowerment.

Volunteering Day in Ras Baalbeck

SAIL representatives engaged with youths in Ras Baalbeck to encourage community-service and volunteering.

Gaming Academy Workshop

The Gaming Academy hosted its first hybrid workshop in iPark! Over 50 participants attended the session to learn about animation.

Mental Health Session in Mekse

In collaboration with Embrace, two sessions happened in parallel: one for children, and one for parents on coping mechanisms and ways to address bullying in schools. The event was organized by World...

Environment Day in Hermel

Ziad Abi Chaker presented to community in Hermel on ways to deal with waste. The day was organized by World Vision.

Our Team:

Founders:

Dr. Wassim El Hajj

Dr. Wassim El Hajj

Rector, AUB Mediterraneo

Ashraf Abi Said

Ashraf Abi Said

Impact & Outreach: