Abstract
In the U.S. there are not enough students pursuing STEM degrees to keep up with workforce demand. Additionally, there is a low number of minorities and women in STEM fields. Introducing computer science and other STEM topics in K – 12 classes motivates students to consider related future careers. An ITEST Summer Game Programming Course was initiated at CSU Sacramento to contribute toward addressing these issues. This project has two parts. The first is the creation of a formal curriculum derived from the instructor’s curriculum notes and from instructor and student feedback. The second aspect of the project is an analysis of the effectiveness of the course on STEM interest derived from data from student daily class journals. This project resulted in a reusable six week game programming curriculum. From analysis of the student journals, it can be concluded that this course was effective in motivating student interest in computer science. The game programming delivery method is fun, interesting and relevant to high school students. It also enabled students to practically apply the computer science and math skills learned, contributing toward retention and creating a meaningful learning experience.