From Players to Creators: How Endless Access is Shaping the Next Generation

At Endless, we believe in the power of digital tools and skills to unlock opportunity for every learner. One of the most compelling ways we advance this mission is through Endless Access, a branch of our organization, which operates as a nonprofit, and delivers impactful game-making programs, affordable devices, and user-centered software to the communities that need them the most. 

Through its Games and Learning programs, Endless Access equips learners with future-ready skills in coding, storytelling, and design. Using open-source tools like Godot and a community-driven model, students don’t just play games—they create them. Along the way, they build confidence, professional portfolios, and pathways into a variety of careers. 

Endless Access also helps expand inclusion by making high-quality laptops affordable through flexible financing and by offering Endless OS, a simple, secure operating system built for first-time users. 

Together, these efforts form a powerful ecosystem designed with equity, scalability, and impact in mind. We sat down with Heather Drolet, Director of Learning Design, to learn more about Endless Access, what makes it unique, and how it’s evolving to serve a growing global community of young creators.

“Game making resonates deeply with youth, not just because they love to play games, but because creating them gives them agency and a voice in shaping the digital world.”

- Heather Drolet

Director of Learning Design, Endless Access

Can you start by giving us an overview of Endless Access and its mission? How do the game-making programs fit into that broader vision?

Heather: At Endless Access, our mission is simple yet ambitious: the whole world empowered. We focus on game making because it offers a holistic way for young people to build confidence and gain exposure to a wide range of skills—technical, creative, and collaborative. Our aim is to reach underserved communities and provide access to tools and experiences that help learners imagine and build futures that work for them. Game making resonates deeply with youth, not just because they love to play games, but because creating them gives them agency and a voice in shaping the digital world.

What inspired Endless Access to start focusing on game creation as a tool for learning and empowerment? What makes Endless Access’ game-making programs unique?
Heather: We believe deeply in collaboration, and game creation naturally invites people to work together. We saw an opportunity to bring young people into spaces where they can explore real-world collaboration, a skill that's becoming more essential each day. 

Our pedagogy is built on six core principles: everyone belongs, play matters, create for impact, share often and be open, reflect and refine, and learning is not linear. We embed these values in every program and our teaching approach revolves around the cycle of play, create, share, and reflect. It's hands-on, iterative, and encourages learners to explore at their own pace. Additionally, everything we offer is open source and we encourage users to be creative with it. 

What resources are currently available for youth or educators who want to get involved in your game-making programs?
Heather: We offer three main types of experiences that can be self-guided or taught in a learning environment. 

The first is our Explore Program. This program helps introduce learners to game-making at different levels. For beginners or limited-tech settings, Explore: MakeCode provides an entry point with Microsoft MakeCode Arcade, where students build simple games, explore real-world themes, and share their creations—no prior experience required.

For older or more advanced learners, Explore: Godot uses the professional, open-source Godot Engine to let students remix a community-built game, adding original art, sound, and levels while collaborating on a shared project.

The second is our Core Program. With this longer experience, learners work together to build a full game or contribute to one that’s already been started. Last, is our More Program which is embedded within our community. Learners can choose items from a backlog of a game we’re developing and lend their skills to a particular task. 

We also offer training for educators and mentors who want to run these programs. Our approach is inclusive; you don’t have to be a computer science expert to take part! Whether you’re an art teacher, parent, club leader, or just passionate about making games, all are welcome. 

What types of support (technical, creative, or otherwise) do participants receive throughout the process of making a game?
Heather: Support is at the heart of our model. Each program that we run includes facilitators and mentors (many from the gaming industry) who offer technical feedback as well as design and development critiques. We also have “engagement agents” who reach out to learners who might be struggling or feeling overwhelmed. 

There is so much that goes into creating a game—engineering, design, art, go to market strategy, and production management. Our learning platforms help support these five domains of game making with videos, written materials, and live sessions to make sure participants never feel alone in the process.

What are some new developments or initiatives Endless Access is working on that you're excited about?
Heather: We’re thrilled about Threadbare, a new game we developed to give learners an opportunity to engage in a community and meaningfully contribute to a shared project. The premise of this game is that the world’s cultural stories are unraveling—literally. 

Stories are the universal language of communication. It’s how we share information between cultures and connect to one another. Learners in the Core Threadbare Program create story quests, which are like mini games that highlight historical or cultural tales. Players must collect memories, imagination, and spirit to weave stories back into the fabric of humanity.

It’s a powerful blend of storytelling, game design, and cultural restoration. And it's all done collaboratively with learners connecting across the globe! 

What role does feedback from students and educators play in shaping the evolution of your programs? And is there any feedback you’ve gotten to date that’s materially shaped your path forward?
Heather: Feedback is foundational. We integrate it into every program via surveys and debriefs with teams and learners. One influential reflection came from a program we ran in Peru: 92% of participants said mentors made the experience impactful. For this reason, we hold mentorship as a core element of our model and an inspiration to our learners, too. 

Our research has also shown us that learners are more engaged when they know someone real will play their game. This has really influenced how we’re evolving our community pathways. We want to ensure that learners have a network they can leverage. 

How have partnerships helped you scale or deepen your impact? Can you share an example of a collaboration that really moved the needle?
Heather: Partnerships are vital to our work. In Jordan, we trained Dimensions Studio, a local game studio, to deliver our programs across the country—in cities, rural areas, and after-school settings. They translated our materials into Arabic and helped young people start building their own games.

Another great example is Mailyo Games, based in Nigeria. They recently ran a youth internship program where learners as young as 10 created game prototypes including an educational island game for preschoolers and a gymnastics-themed game. It’s always neat to see what they come up with! 

These partnerships show how local organizations can tailor our model to their unique contexts. We’ve noticed that when communities take the lead, the games created don’t just teach skills, they leave a lasting impact.

Can you share a story of a young person or team that created a game through your programs that really stuck with you? What was the game about, and why did it leave such a lasting impact?
Heather: One team at the Universidad Tecnologica Peru completely broke the mold. Instead of following the template we provided, they created something entirely their own. That kind of creative problem-solving is exactly what we hope to cultivate and it pushes us to improve our learning design.

Another memorable moment came from one of our first programs. A participant wanted to build a game that her daughter (who has a limb difference) could play. She teamed up with other women and developed an environmental education game in Godot with accessible controls. Her daughter was able to play the game alongside her, which was a beautiful example of our value ‘everyone belongs’.

What does success look like to you for Endless Access in the next 5 years?

Heather: In a word: community. We want to empower others (teachers, mentors, and creators) to take this work and make it their own. As Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher selected by NASA to fly in space, once said, “I touch the future. I teach.” This quote captures our vision for Endless Access. We want to provide the tools and opportunities to empower people to become players, creators, contributors and eventually mentors. If, in 5 years, we have a growing list of mentors who are giving back to the next generation, I’ll know we’ve succeeded. 

What advice do you have for educators looking to bring game design to their students or students interested in exploring game design independently?
Heather: Keep play at the center. Learning happens through discovery and discovery happens through play. It doesn’t have to be complex. Even kids creating a toy prototype and playing with it at recess can be powerful enough to spark creativity. It’s important to remember that we don’t have to be perfect, we just need to be curious. 

To learn more about Endless access, visit https://www.endlessglobal.com/foundation/access.