UW Certificate Scholarship Increases Access to Creative Careers

Passion to Profession: UW Certificate Scholarship Increases Access to Creative Careers

Adult learners take advantage of new scholarship opportunities for work in creative, design and communications fields.

At the University of Washington Continuum College, we believe in the power of education to promote positive change, advance social equity and improve people's lives. We aim to serve the needs of non-traditional and underserved learners.

As part of that goal, we provide a pathway for more adult learners to benefit from our programs through the UW Certificate Scholarship program, UW’s first scholarship fund for non-credit education. By covering 80% to 100% of course fees, the scholarship program makes our programs more accessible.

The scholarship program has a new partnership with Many Hands, the startup behind Verses, a new social purpose gaming ecosystem that brings together game designers, artists and coders. "Scholarships, to me, are in part about liberating people from financial constraints so that they can grow into the visionaries and creators that they have the potential to be," said Alex West, cofounder of Many Hands.

Like UW, Many Hands seeks to improve access to opportunities for aspiring creators from traditionally underrepresented communities. This year, three students from diverse backgrounds received scholarships to complete the UW Certificate in Game Design.

A first-generation American and father of two, Victor Arteaga saw his work in the service industry come to a standstill when the pandemic hit. With the help of this scholarship, Victor was able to rethink his career and return to school, building on his lifelong passion for writing and video games.

“The UW Certificate in Game Design has been amazing,” said Arteaga. “It’s provided me with insight into the industry and where I might find joy in my work.”

Scholarships are in part about liberating people from financial constraints so that they can grow into the visionaries and creators that they have the potential to be.
— Alex West, Cofounder, Many Hands

Continuum’s also working on expanding access to certificate programs for people seeking to work in other creative fields. For this year’s scholarship cycle, scholarships are now also available for the UW Certificate in Film & Video Production and the UW Certificate in Audio Production Techniques.

Increasing scholarship opportunities — and, therefore, access — has broad implications in creative industries like gaming, film or media. As West put it: "We see these scholarships as a route to change who the creators are, which we expect will change the characters and language that appears in games, which in turn will attract audiences who haven't felt spoken to and included."

UW certificate programs are designed to give learners flexible options with class times in the evening, on weekends or online, so anyone interested in pursuing additional education can access learning that fits into their schedule. This flexibility can particularly benefit those who work in creative industries, as gig workers comprise 65% of the creative economy workforce.

For more information about the UW Certificate Scholarship, including eligibility criteria, deadlines and how to apply, visit: https://www.pce.uw.edu/uw-certificate-scholarship.