Students at the South Central Institute of Technology (SCIoT) in Bletchley have designed and built a game themed around a favourite kids’ TV show after being challenged by a local entrepreneur.
Shalom Lloyd, founder and owner of Naturally Tribal Skincare and governor at MK College Group, approached the SCIoT last year about her idea to involve their learners in a project linked to her recently signed licensing deal with Paramount, which involved releasing a range of products themed around the Paw Patrol TV show.
Commenting on the project, Shalom said: “Recognising the talent in Milton Keynes, the importance of learning through play, the opportunity for students to be involved in a ‘live’ project in collaboration with local business and associated with a company like Paramount is a recipe for success. I am proud and amazed by the dedication and commitment by the students and teachers who have shown the power and innovation in bringing education and business together.”
The SCIoT’s Games and Animation students were briefed back in September 2022, initially being asked to create a video involving the Paw Patrol characters going on an adventure, but the students decided that a game would be more engaging for the target audience. The students created storyboards with their ideas, received feedback from representatives from both Paramount and Naturally Tribal Skincare before developing, testing and building the final game. The game will be accessed via a QR code printed on Naturally Tribal Skincare’s Paw Patrol-themed products, which will be available online and in Frost’s Garden Centre stores from 22nd May.
Shalom Lloyd said of the finished game: “Just imagine being a student and walking into a shop like Frosts and seeing a product to which you contributed on the shelves! Then imagine being a local business owner in Milton Keynes and proudly showcasing how your community has helped to add value to your product – what more is there to say?”
Brandon Ikin, a student at the SCIoT who was involved in the project, commented: “Having the opportunity to work with a brand the size of Paw Patrol has been an incredible opportunity, and it's really brought our entire group closer together as we all wanted to represent ourselves and the SCIoT in the best way possible”.
Fellow student at the SCIoT, Kieran O’Donnell, added: “Working with Naturally Tribal and Paramount on this project has been an amazing opportunity to work within our class as if in industry, following through having different roles, converging with each other to produce industry standard techniques and workflows. Additionally the relationship with the client has given us experience on receiving feedback, problem solving and time management that cannot be done without working with an external client. That experience is priceless and will prove to develop the core industry workflows that are needed within the games industry.”
Robin Ayre, Digital Coach at the SCIoT commented: “This has been a dream project, both for our learners and for the SCIoT in general. Our learners have found it incredibly valuable to be able to take a live brief from a client, present their work to them, gain feedback in real-time and ultimately build the final game. I’m incredibly proud of the learners who’ve taken part in this project, they’ve worked so hard and I have no doubt that they will carry what they’ve learned from this experience through the rest of their time with us and beyond.
“By offering real-world projects with nationally and internationally renowned partners, we aim to provide our learners with the skills they’ll need for successful careers in tech and digital both now and in the future. At the SCIoT, we’re looking forward to delivering many more projects like this to enhance the learning experiences of all our students.”
To find out more about the South Central Institute of Technology, visit https://southcentraliot.ac.uk/
