Students from across Kern County put their creativity and technical skills to the test during the 2026 Kern Codes Skoolcade, a game design competition that brought together aspiring developers in grades 4 through 8. Held April 23 at LER, the annual event challenged students to design and present original video games, blending storytelling, coding, and problem-solving into interactive experiences.
Throughout the competition, students demonstrated not only their technical abilities, but also their creativity, collaboration, and persistence—key skills that are increasingly important in today’s digital world.
Participants worked individually and in teams to develop games that ranged from fast-paced challenges to story-driven adventures. Judges evaluated entries based on creativity, functionality, design, and overall user experience.
The Skoolcade competition is part of Kern Codes, a broader effort to expand computer science education and inspire the next generation of innovators. By introducing students to coding at an early age, the program helps build confidence and opens doors to future careers in technology.
Winners were recognized across multiple categories for their standout projects:
Group Winners
1st Place
Shoot the Balloons
Ramon Garza Elementary (Lesli Armas, Ni’Elli Douglas)
2nd Place
Blast of Glory
Ramon Garza Elementary
(Leah Carrillo, Allyson Cantu, Cesar Avila)
3rd Place:
Pokemon Trainers
Ramon Garza Elementary
(Kailani Munoz, Rigoberto Deyta DeLaRosa)
Individual Winners (Top Overall)
1st Place:
Portest V01
Legacy Christian Academy (Josiah Cobar)
2nd Place:
Deep Sea Dash
St. John’s Lutheran School (Tarun Thallapalle)
3rd Place:
Zombie Survival
Sunset Middle School (Fernando Pimentel)
Individual Winners (Top Player Enjoyment)
1st Place:
Soflo Wheelie Life
Fred L. Thompson Jr. High (Brayden Sarti)
2nd Place:
Dystopia
Fruitvale Junior High (Nissi Samadji)
3rd Place:
Voiceless
Fruitvale Junior High (Savannah Johnsson)
Individual Winners (Best Interview)
1st Place:
Aliens Invade Aliens — Fruitvale Junior High (Darshan Sarath Babu)
2nd Place:
Chasing Game
Ramon Garza Elementary (Ariely Gonzalez Del Villar)
3rd Place:
Sharky is Hungry
Ramon Garza Elementary (Giovani Guerrero)
By Robert Meszaros
Rob Meszaros is Director of Communications for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools, where he has served since 2012. In his role, Meszaros oversees media relations, internal and external communication strategies, publications, Marcom, branding, and multi-media content creation. Before joining KCSOS, Meszaros was the PIO for CSU Bakersfield and earlier worked for seven years at The Bakersfield Californian.