For the most part, the video game industry has been the domain of men. But girls and young women are increasingly becoming more involved in the online gaming community, so it is important to attract women into the industry.
The Barlovento Foundation has established the Barlovento Scholarship for Women in Games in the design program at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. The full-tuition scholarship will support women in graduate degree programs in game design.
Vanessa Briceno, president of the Barlovento Foundation who holds a master of fine arts degree in game design from New York University, stated that “since the 1980s, digital and board games have largely focused on attracting young men, creating over the years a startling gender disparity within the games industry. Our goal with the scholarship is to encourage women to pursue game design as a career and to see the industry as expanding and inviting. It is vital that we send the message that women are welcome and needed as diverse voices and creators within the gaming industry.”