SDC has proudly offered free booths to students, high school-aged and below, at the Capital Creative Showcase and this year we are continuing that mission! When we first started CCS, our mission was simple — to celebrate the creativity, talent, and passion of local developers and to help them share their work with the world. The event quickly became Sacramento’s biggest celebration of indie games, art, and interactive experiences, providing a stage for developers to connect with fans, publishers, and each other.
However, as CCS grew, we realized that we were leaving out a vital part of our creative community — young, aspiring developers and creators who hadn’t yet reached college. These students are the next generation of innovators, designers, and storytellers. Many of them are already building impressive projects through school programs, coding camps, and independent efforts, but they often lack opportunities to share their work publicly or gain feedback from real players and professionals. We wanted to change that.
That’s why this year, we’re massively expanding our Student Showcase! We’ve reached out to even more local high schools, after-school programs, and coding education camps, inviting them to take part in CCS 2026. This expansion is about more than just giving students free booth space — it’s about giving them a platform to be recognized, to network with working developers, and to see firsthand that game development and creative technology are viable, exciting career paths.
At SDC, we’ve always believed in fostering the next generation of creative talent, not just through CCS, but also through our PGJED (Progressive Game Jam Education) program — a hands-on educational initiative that introduces students to real-world game development practices. Through PGJED, students get to experience what it’s like to plan, build, and iterate on games in a collaborative environment, guided by experienced mentors from the industry. The Student Showcase is the natural extension of that mission — a chance for these young creators to step into the spotlight and share the results of their hard work.
Whether you’re a teacher, a program organizer, or a student developer working on your first big project, we’d love to feature you at CCS! This is your chance to share your creativity, learn from peers and professionals, and be part of Sacramento’s growing creative community.
If you are a student developer still in high school or below, or if you’re submitting on behalf of multiple students as part of a school or organization, please contact:
📧 ccsregistration@sacdevcollective.org
You’ll receive instructions on how to proceed with your application and your 100% student discount code.
When emailing:
- For organizers: use the subject line: Student Showcase – [Your Organization Name]
- For individual students: use the subject line: Individual Student – Student Showcase – [Your Name]
Reminder: This discount code is available for students in elementary through high school, as well as for student organizers, per certain conditions.
We can’t wait to see what you’ve been working on and to celebrate your creativity at Capital Creative Showcase 2026, happening May 9th at The Jones Hall @ The Grounds in Roseville!
For more information about CCS, check out the website here!