A class of game-champs
Mentored. Motivated. Ready to master the future.
Surrounded by bright green rice fields, Sok Ann Sam Rong High School in Takeo Province, Cambodia, is quietly becoming a powerhouse of digital creativity. For the second-year running, its students have earned national and global recognition for the video games they built from scratch.
Their success reflects Cambodia’s growing commitment to equipping young people with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) skills as part of its national digital transformation agenda. In the first global UNICEF Game Jam, four of the seven award categories were won by Cambodian teams — a remarkable achievement that underscores the country’s momentum.
Cambodia is one of the eight countries participating in the UNICEF Game Changers Coalition, a programme that helps young people develop STEAM skills through game creation. With strong leadership from the Ministry of Youth, Education and Sport, and support from UNICEF Cambodia, annual game jams now draw hundreds of young participants in the country, with a special focus on equipping girls with tech skills.
“This game education development programme places girls at the centre of Cambodia’s digital transformation. It empowers them to become creators, innovators, and leaders in the digital age by eliminating gender gaps in digital education and ensuring equitable access to modern learning opportunities,” said H.E. Dr. Kim Sethany, Permanent Secretary of State of the MoEYS. “Through coding, problem solving, and teamwork, girls build critical thinking, leadership, and digital literacy skills that prepare them to contribute meaningfully to national development. The girls who design games today are the future software engineers, digital entrepreneurs, and technology leaders who will drive Cambodia’s social and economic progress.”
Where champions are made: mentors spark possibility
Behind the students’ success is a community of mentors, teachers, and school leaders who believe deeply in their potential.
One of them is Im Kem Hong. A former student at Sok Ann Sam Rong High School, he returned almost two decades later as its Information Technology teacher. Integrating the Game Changers Coalition’s curriculum into his digital literacy lessons, he teaches 15–16-year-olds coding, design, and problem-solving through video game creation.
“Students in rural areas have never learned how to use a computer, they are unfamiliar with technology and the real workings of the ‘digital’ world are foreign to them. My lessons are the beginning of their lives in tech,” Im explained.
Under his guidance, students built Green Ever — a video game promoting conservation and waste management — which won the Social Impact category in the global UNICEF Game Jam. Another team, Smart Tech, earned national acclaim for a game promoting healthy eating.
“When I heard they won, I almost cried, because we used to think that rural kids couldn't do it. But we can do it. This means that education has no limits; it doesn't matter if it's a child in a rural area, a child in the city, or a child in a developed country.
“It was a shared and unexpected joy for the guardians and school management—and especially my students—they were so excited that they could achieve something comparable to other schools... as well as participants from all eight countries,’ Im said.
Now in his fifteenth year of teaching, Im Kem Hong says there is still work ahead to expand digital access in rural communities, but he is optimistic. Watching students grow — especially girls stepping into tech roles for the first time — fuels his commitment.
Opening doors for the next generation
“The awards the students received demonstrate their huge potential. It serves as a testament for the next generation for students and young children interested in technology. It also brings recognition to the school management, the teachers and the community that believe in them so much,” said Im Kem.
At the recent National Game Jam held in Phnom Penh, more than 600 students aged 10 to 18, representing 14 schools from 11 provinces and with girls accounting for over 65 per cent of participants, presented and pitched video games they had developed. The games were created through a six-week tailored learning programme and reflected young people’s lived experiences and community-level challenges, illustrating how creative technologies can empower adolescents to become digital creators and active problem-solvers.
The Coalition's curriculum piloted in four schools in 2023 and then rolled out to 33 schools in 2024. Currently, nearly 100 schools have been implementing its unique learning journey. 30 instructional videos and core content were translated into Khmer language, instructionally redesigned as an e-learning module, and distributed digitally nationwide. Hands-on Training of Trainers (ToT) sessions were delivered to master trainers, which were replicated with technical coaching, mentoring, and peer learning for 250 targeted school management and teachers. This has promoted peer learning among schools with the Provincial Offices of Education supporting school mentoring networks and effective programme implementation.
Government support has helped the national game jam grow into a gateway for hundreds of young people to test ideas, build skills, and imagine new futures. One of those students is Thida, a 14 year a member of Green Ever.
“I’ve always wanted to be a doctor, but now I have so many mentors and role models and I can code, I’m more interested in technology and STEAM than I’ve ever been."
Thida, 14-year old game developer.
“My encouragement to young girls is that they don't need to worry about having every skill—knowing coding, story writing, English, or other things related to game making before starting. They just need to have confidence in themselves that they can do it. If others can do it, they can do it too,” she added.
A global network backing local talent
The UNICEF Game Changers Coalition is supported by a network of partners across the tech and gaming industry, including Bitget, Global Video Games Coalition (GVGC), and the Micron Foundation. Their engagement ensures young innovators have access to the mentors and curriculum they need to acquire the skills to thrive in a fast-changing digital world.
During a visit to Cambodia, Bitget Chief Marketing Officer Ignacio Aguirre met the young creators in their classroom. He described the experience as a powerful reminder of what happens when passion meets purpose.
“When young people are motivated to push boundaries and develop new skills to improve their communities, they are unstoppable. That’s exactly what we saw here. Their creativity, courage, and commitment were inspiring. Bitget is proud to support a global coalition that helps young people leverage frontier technologies like blockchain so they can thrive in an increasingly digital economy,” said Ignacio.
