GREENSBORO – Classes in computer game design are scheduled to become part of the state school curriculum in the 2012-2013 school year. They’re already being held at selected schools across the state. Educators think those classes and others will help boost graduation rates and mean jobs for students in the future. While the classroom at Southeast High School in Greensboro looks like a group of high school students playing computer games, it’s much more than that. They’re learning how to design the games. “I took game design simply because I wanted to further my knowledge in 3D animation and modeling,” said Senior Kevin Shropshire. And while some parents may roll their eyes at the prospects, there are jobs to be had in this field. “It’s a huge industry. It’s right up there with the amount of money Hollywood makes,” said game design teacher Mike Tidwell. The game design program developed by Guilford County teachers will become part of the state’s standard course of study in two years. Administrator says Career and Technical Education boosts graduation rates. “Students who focus on career and technical education programs in are much more likely to graduate than students overall,” said Guilford County School Superintendent Mo Green. Green says, statewide in 2008, students who earned four or more technical credits had a graduation rate of 86.6 percent, compared to an overall graduation rate of 70.3 percent. And administrators say what’s going on this classroom can translate to high tech jobs, either after high school or further down the road. “Somewhere between a half and a million jobs go unfilled in the state of North Carolina,” said Tidwell. “ We are currently second behind California, as far as the number of game design jobs that are available.” Senior Tommy Bui says he wants to further his education in animation or 3D game design. “I would like to work for Pixar or Epic Games to like create the next 3D movies,” said Bui. He also thinks this is helping prepare him for a career in medical imaging. Learning design can also translate to other fields – architecture – and the even automotive industry. “We do think we are preparing them for today’s economy and future careers,” said Bob Gantt, the system’s Director of Career & Technical Education. Students are aware they’re not just playing games. “It’s really helping me with my future goal of being a computer engineer,” said Shropshire.