Kids can learn to code Xbox and PC games at Microsoft stores

There are a ton of initiatives to help kids (and adults) learn to code these days. Google has lessons for teens to code animates scenes starring Wonder Woman, Apple has the kid-friendly Swift Playgrounds and a partnership with Tynker, and even Facebook has a program that suggests learning gadgets and other resources to help encourage the next generation of coders. Microsoft has now launched a series of free Xbox and PC game development classes, held at its "flagship" stores in New York and Sydney. The classes will begin on August 20th and September 25th, respectively.

There are a total of three courses currently available to students 14 and over. Each will cover a different aspect of the game development process — development, programming and design — and will hopefully inspire future coders to get into the industry. Better yet, the classes are accredited by the Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE) so that kids can use the credits to pursue full-time courses in the future.

Kids will be able to save any games they code during the classes to a complimentary USB flash drive so they can work on their creations between and after classes. Students who take these new courses will also be able to test out their code and designs on their own consoles, too. Every Xbox One can become a dev kit with a free app from Microsoft, and accounts that let anyone publish to Xbox One and Windows 10 start at a budget-friendly $20.