The Future of Education Technology® Conference takes place live and in person, Jan. 23-26, 2023, and the FETC Expo Hall opens at noon on Tuesday, Jan. 24—right after the opening keynote by futurist and author Daniel Burrus. Along with the hundreds of companies displaying their products and expertise, here are the other major highlights:

• Opening Night Reception: Catch up with colleagues and make new connections with a sneak preview of the solutions provided by 400+ companies.
• Startup Pavilion: Discover emerging companies, demo original products and meet the entrepreneurs making advances in the edtech market.
• Esports Gaming Arena: Competitive K-12 esports teams engage students, build culture, and promote career and college readiness. Attendees will get a live experience of esports in action.
• Content-Focused Theaters: Sessions by real-world practitioners and edtech company leaders take place in six specialized theaters: Information Technology, Technology Discovery, Thought Leadership, Esports, STEM and Pitchfest.
• Meet the Authors: Best-selling edtech authors will sign books and answer questions about the most pressing K-12 topics.
• Closing Festivities & Prize Giveaway: You can win FETC’s annual $30,000 technology prize giveaway for your school at FETC 2023’s closing festivities.

FETC Expo Hall: Theatrical insights

Here’s a closer look at the content-focused theaters:

Information Technology Theater: For those who are on the frontlines of education technology, these sessions cover the latest updates in core technology infrastructure and best practices.

Technology Discovery Theater: Designed for senior-level administrators, attendees will learn the ins and outs of emerging education products through live demonstrations.

Thought Leadership Theater: District, state and school-level leaders get insight into policy, pedagogy, wellness and school management.

Esports Theater: As esports continues to grow in popularity, district leaders will learn how esports benefit students’ academic performance.

STEM Theater: Education leaders will observe a variety of hands-on demonstrations of products that their schools can utilize to enhance their STEM programs.

Pitchfest Theater: Attendees will hear from the newest and most innovative ed-tech startups and how their technologies can change the world of education.

More from DA: Sudden change—2 superintendents resign abruptly and 2 others are fired

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Kristy Custer, the vice president of educational innovation at the High School Esports League, will tell that story in her presentation, “Why Administrators Should Support Esports in Schools,” at the 2023 Future of Education Technology® Conference in New Orleans in January. She’ll also explain that esports can encompass for-credit classes, competitive gaming and social activities. “Scholastic gaming mixes the structure of school with the fun of esports into engaging curricular and co-curricular activities that students and teachers love,” Custer says.

Attendees to FETC will find several more opportunities to expand their esports horizons:

Developing the whole child through esports

Developing a Comprehensive K-12 Esports Program: Learn how esports can be a valuable opportunity to develop the whole student as it supports health and wellness and guides students toward skills and passions in gaming, programming and other esports industries. Presenter Julie Mavrogeorge, the work-based learning and esports coordinator at Fresno USD, will detail how an esports program can anchor CTE pathways in graphic design, game design, video production, and broadcasting. Students in her district are learning video production, event planning, tournament management, shout casting and other college and career skills.

SEL benefits of esports

Correlating Esports and SEL Core Competencies: Personalized social-emotional learning can be embedded into esports with the help of Generation Esports’ “Gaming Concepts” curriculum. The program draws on the five SEL core competencies—self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, social awareness, and relationship skills—to motivate teachers and administrators to adopt video gaming as a catalyst for SEL. Presenter: Andrew Lombardo, account executive, Generation Esports.

Students who never participated before…

Esports: From Startup to Scholarships: Last year, 200 colleges offered close to $16 million in eSports scholarships while students who had never before participated in clubs and athletics became the leaders of their gaming teams. Tami Lundberg, the chief technology officer at Fresno USD, will also show how esports motivates students to learn skills in coding, game design, shoutcasting, marketing, and communication.

Mental health and career pathways

It’s Time to Normalize Esports in Education! The pandemic forced educators to find new ways to engage students, making this school year the perfect time to introduce esports, says presenter Kristen Craft, an educational leadership coach and academic esports specialist at Generation Esports. Esports can foster post-secondary success through gaming scholarships and training for jobs in this billion-dollar industry. Craft will cover how the benefits of esports fit into K-12 education, including improving student mental health and opening CTE pathways.

More from FETC: Why social media doesn’t have to be a nuisance in school

Building ed-tech skillsets and boosting engagement

Seizing Academic Esports’ Power to Build Ed Tech Skillsets: Esports can open up a world of learning and other dynamic possibilities for students who have become disengaged from learning. Alan Sitomer, a former California teacher of the year award winner, speaker and author, will explain how using a research-based approach to academic esports can elevate student achievement and channel the passion for gaming into workforce-ready skills.

Other esports sessions include:

• Esports in Elementary Education
• Innovation Sports: Esports, STEM Education, & Innovation 
• Implementing Esports Through Athletics vs. Implementing Esports through Education 
• Put the WOW Factor Into Your Scholastic Gaming Program
• Esports: A community crafting the framework for the future! 
• Esports: Beyond Gaming 
• Growing A Global Community of Educators Around Scholastic Esports
• Building K-12 Esports Sustainability From Critical Stakeholders 

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The estimated income of the global esports market is nearing $1 billion a year, and the total number of competition viewers is gradually approaching 10-digit numbers. Esports are rapidly gaining momentum and analysts predict further growth, which means that investments in tournaments and venues look more and more attractive. No one will be surprised if we see esports at the Olympics soon. But creating an esports space that will actually generate income is much more difficult than building a classic stadium.

A successful arena must include good technology, be highly transformable, take into account the behavior of esports fans, and be suitable for a variety of events. Multifunctionality and mobility are the main keys to the success of creating an ideal spot for esports. In this sense, esports arenas are no different from classic sports arenas, especially indoor spaces. Capacity is usually similar to that of an indoor ice hockey stadium. Also, it’s important to know that 69% of major tournament revenue comes from sponsorships and advertising.

The advantage of esports is the absence of traditional seasonality. Competitions are held year-round, and this opens up interesting opportunities for universal halls that are experiencing a shortage of events.

Creating unparalleled experiences

Esports typology is a very difficult task for venue organizers, as there are many disciplines that differ in stage requirements and the interaction of participants. Because esports games are becoming more and more varied, an arena should be able to easily change themes. It is not so easy, say, to change the design of the site and the stands from the theme of a Pubg game to League of Legends, because these are games of completely different genres.

The main challenge for the organizers of esports competitions is to convince the audience to come. They need to create an unparalleled experience for fans to leave their cozy j&m furniture sofa, where they have everything they need to enjoy watching: a screen and a refrigerator full of snacks. That is, one needs to organize an atmosphere in which the audience, and especially esports fans, will be enthusiastic to watch the match or cheer for their favorite team.

A separate place in the world of esports is occupied by team coaches. For a long time, there has been an opinion that an esports coach needs to have a very deep knowledge of the game in order to be effective. This is partly true. Still, one doesn’t have to be very good at it. Any player who has already finished his pro-gaming career can immediately start coaching.

For this reason, candidates must first be trained in order to receive experience in different directions. Since esports players play games that can be compared to chess in complexity, the coach will need the most comprehensive knowledge. Psychology is also important here. Professional players make their careers by honing their skills in a particular role, be it race, style, or team position. Thus, their knowledge is limited to a certain niche. If the knowledge of the coach does not meet the current task, problems arise.

Achieving international stardom

In any case, all esports games require roughly the same things—spot for training, where e-sportsmen will feel calm and comfortable in order to unlock the potential of each individual player. As a rule, the team includes 5 players, 1-2 substitutes, a coach, and various managers. There may be only one manager, but he has great obligations: to organize and promote his team to various esports tournaments, closely follow esports news and other events, and possess the ability to negotiate.

More from DA: Esports remains the best vehicle to reach all K-12 students 

How to create these conveniences? Any esports team needs to organize a training spot. It should include a lot: a game room with at least five gaming computers and chairs on wheels (all PCs must be powerful enough for the complete comfort of team members). At the team training spot, players will need a place to sleep, eat, shower, etc., as well as a place where the full team would gather and discuss game tactics for further victory. Such a spot can be arranged anywhere, depending on the available funds. It shouldn’t specifically take up much space.

For example, the well-known Russian esports team for Dota 2, the current world champion in this game, is now based not in Russia but in Serbia. The same goes for the rest of the teams. Moreover, they have only one manager, one coach and one substitute player. This is quite enough for them to win the champions trophy at an international competition.

As it becomes clear, esports teams do not need much to become famous all over the world. The main thing is desire and discipline—and a good little spot for training.

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Dedicated educators, popup non-profits, leagues and embedded organizations have rallied to bring gaming and curricula into K-12 schools with the same mission: Give kids a chance to play and build future pathways. That is especially true for students who struggle to make connections with peers or get involved in other activities.

Those who are united in the cause say the challenges, especially for tired teachers and cost-conscious administrators, are immense. But they agree that the investment is worth it.

“It’s a challenging time. COVID has had its impact on the entire ecosystem and structure of education,” says Gerald Solomon, founder and executive director of the North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF), the pioneer in offering academics through esports. “But the kids who engage in the data work, engage in the writing, they just shine. We’re seeing increased attendance in school. We’re seeing reengagement in the public educational system, especially when it’s wrapped in a very strategic and thoughtful educational, scholastic ecosystem.”

Despite the fallout from COVID-19 and a heavy switch to virtual (where it is native anyway), esports is still very strong. And they will take center stage again at the once-again-live Future of Education Technology Conference in Orlando from Jan. 25-28 with dozens of sessions.

Solomon said he is seeing growth in the U.S. and across the world through its many partnerships with international organizations. Two years ago, the High School Esports League (HSEL) had about 80,000 students participating. Now it has more than 140,000 and serves more than 3,400 schools.

Kristy Custer, Vice President of Educational Innovation at the HSEL and a former principal of the year in Kansas, says schools that haven’t climbed aboard yet should strongly consider it. “I’ll give you a list of 80 reasons why we should bring esports into school, but we immediately saw attendance jump and kids were so engaged. It was like a silver bullet. But if all this does is bring a little joy to kids and teachers, and a little laughter and joy to the classroom right now, that’s enough.”

Joy means better outcomes for students

The data back that up. According to Generation Esports, which runs the HSEL, attendance among students rises about 10% when kids are engaged through esports and their grade point averages jump about 1.7 points. But it’s the SEL piece, the career track connection and the ability of esports to provide unique access to all that make it a champion in schools.

Custer, who along with fellow former educator Michael Russell developed the Gaming Concepts curriculum that has been downloaded 400,000 times, noted that one high school educator told her that esports “normalizes the virtual playing field” and has become one of the top five activities at his school in just a year. Because of its reach and inclusivity, it brings in more unengaged students and gives them purpose academically because of the positive reinforcement provided in a structured environment. Esports reaches seemingly unreachable populations.

“You can come to the esports team and be whoever you want to be,” Custer says. “One of the most foundational things that we learned [from a research study done this fall of a big high school district] is that 7% of the students gaming were from the LGBTQ community. All nine top sports combined are only getting 9%. Esports is capturing a marginalized, high-risk community, and we are helping them belong to something. It crosses a lot of social-economic boundaries.”

What attracts students initially, of course, is the rush of playing. Aside from relevant paths that can open doors to careers in shoutcasting, digital arts and coding, there are huge opportunities for kids to game. A myriad of organizations offers everything from pay-to-play models to free challenges and popup events from NASEF such as Rube Goldberg, Minecraft and FarmCraft challenges. The HSEL and other platforms offer serious tournament play from Overwatch to NBA2K at the high school level and Rocket League and many other games for middle schoolers at per-semester and yearly costs to schools. Game developers are also trying to tailor new titles for younger kids.

Though monetary models have been criticized at K-12, semester and yearly fees at HSEL and MSEL aren’t too pricy ($1,500 and $750 per year, respectively), and schools have been tapping into ESSER funds to make that a reality. One deep consideration, of course, is the cost of equipment. Though schools can get a jumpstart with Nintendo Switches and consoles, the best environments have gaming PCs.

“The kid in Chicago, the kid in Wichita need access to high-quality gaming equipment,” Custer says. “You get those high-dollar PCs to spark that interest and lay that digital foundation for those kids so they say, this is fun. It is a huge equity and access piece. Some students are not playing on PCs. They’re asking for PlayStations and Xboxes, so they can play NBA2K. Why? Because they’re within the monetary range.”

Aligning gaming with education

Esports curricula vary from free to paid but are continually updated and provide a way for schools to deliver that key element that makes esports different from traditional sports—the learning element. For example, NASEF offers free English Language Arts Integrated Courses that align with content standards, career technical education and middle school modules that focus on translatable esports skills. HSEL, long known as a competition arm for esports in K-12, has made a huge commitment to add more education tie-ins, including the addition several years ago of Gaming Concepts along with the recent hiring of more than two dozen educators.

Gaming Concepts has gone from book to updated series and includes the introduction to esports (a primer for educators just getting started) as well as a technical piece on digital arts (Level 2 coming in fall 2022) that can be positioned as part of an interactive arts pathway. There is also 1.1, which focuses on “30 moments in mental health” that is being piloted among 1,600 students and includes concepts such as fighting toxicity, self-esteem, self-efficacy and self-regulation. A new Gaming Concepts 3.0 promises to be eligible for CTE funding.

The offerings from both organizations, and of course the heady work by independent teachers just simply doing it on their own, are helping students get to that level, not as gamers but taking that knowledge and earning scholarships to colleges and universities.

“The whole concept of gaming and esports by itself is a relatively closed environment, but when you wrap around social-emotional learning opportunities, curriculum, career pathway education and awareness, it is a whole new world,” Solomon says. “When you give a child an opportunity who doesn’t know that it exists, doesn’t see a future for themselves—‘I really love art. I can make a career in art around gaming that I love to do, and actually earn a living doing that’—or in a sundry of other workforce skill opportunities that are powerful. We continue to hear, especially around ELL individuals that say if it weren’t for our ability to communicate, be on teams exhibiting leadership, we would not be as proficient in communication and English without that.”

ESPORTS SESSIONS AT FUTURE OF EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE 

(All are in Esports Theater unless noted; subject to change)

Wednesday, January 26

• 9:30 AM (South 210D): Fetch Funding for STEAM and Esports Technology  with Erica Perkins, Ruckus
• 12:15 PM: Esports in Education: Skills, Exposure & Student Development with Ruben Caputo, California State University, Dominguez Hills, and Daniel Ordway, ViewSonic
• 1 PM: Academic Esports Programs: Developing Esports Curriculum with Joey Gawrysiak and Christopher Scroggins, Shenandoah University
• 1:45 PM: Building Diversity, Equity and Inclusion through Scholastic Esports with Tyler Hahn, Cherokee Public Library, and Gerald Solomon, NASEF
• 2 PM (South 230B): From Kindergarten to College : Esports Through the Years with Douglas Konopelko, CDW
• 2:30 PM: Combine the Power of Individuality & Collaboration with Logitech Esports Solutions with Carolyn Gluth, Logitech
• 3 PM (North 220G): Esports for the Win! Evidence Based Connected Learning in Libraries with Jorrel Batac, NASEF, and Tyler Hahn, Cherokee Public Library
• 3 PM (South 230B): Esports Essentials: Engaging Students with Gaming with John Shoemaker, Palm Beach County School District (Sponsored by CDW)
• 3:15 PM: Preparing For Battle: The Art of Coaching Experts In The Games They Play with Chris “Doc” Haskell, Boise State University
• 4 PM: Esports Arena Development: A New Arms Race? with Joey Gawrysiak and Christopher Scroggins, Shenandoah University, and Joshua Kell, Horizon AVL
• 4:45 PM: Esports Experience: Empowering Every Learner Through Inclusive Gaming with Steve Isaacs, Epic Games, and Jesse Lubinsky, Ready Learner One

Thursday, January 27

• 10:15 AM: Esports Program Development in Education with Joey Gawrysiak and Christopher Scroggins, Shenandoah University
• 10:30 AM (North 220E): Esports: Foundational Research, Program Overview, Getting Started with Constance Steinkuehler, University of California, Irvine
• 11 AM: EST09 | Esports: Powerful Partnerships in K12with Douglas Konopelko, CDW
• 11:45 AM: EST10 | Esports In Higher Ed: An Educational Opportunity Beyond Gaming with Joey Gawrysiak and Christopher Scroggins, Shenandoah University
• 12:30 PM: EST11 | Beyond Competitive Gaming: Career Opportunities in Esports with Ruben Caputo, California State University, Dominguez Hills, and Daniel Ordway, ViewSonic
• 1 PM (South 312): Esports & Financial Literacy
• 1 PM (South Hall A): Esports: What the Research Shows on STEM & SEL Benefits with Constance Steinkuehler, University of California, Irvine
• 1 PM (South 230 A): District Snapshots: Engaging Students – esports, Interactive Novel Studies, Video Production with Lori Houchin, Lee County School District and Eddy Varela, Polk County Public Schools
• 1:15 PM: Gaming Concepts: A Video Gaming Curriculum for Schools with Mental Health Moments with Kristy Custer and Michael Russell, High School Esports League
• 2:45 PM: Play Well. Be Well. Scholastic Esports + Wellness with Jorrel Batac, NASEF and Orange County District of Education
• 3:30 PM: Esports Battle Stations Everybody Needs… seriously with Joseph DiPuma, Flagler Schools

Friday, January 28

• 9:45 AM: Broadcasting Esports: The REAL Path to Pro with Chris “Doc” Haskell, Boise State University
• 10:30 AM: Esports: Improving Diversity and Inclusion with Kristy Custer and Michael Russell, High School Esports League
• 11 AM (South 230B): Florida Esports Roundtable with Douglas Konopelko, CDW
• 11:15 AM: Esports: Intersection of Learning and Intentional Play with Jorrel Batac, NASEF and Orange County District of Education; Laurie Boyer, St. Lucie Public Schools; and Gerald Solomon, NASEF
• 12 PM: Building Esports Facilities & Technology Labs and Why They Are Important with Ruben Caputo, California State University, Dominguez Hills, and Daniel Ordway, ViewSonic

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The technology event that has something for every K-12 educator and administrator features a program that is wide-ranging and incredibly expansive.

Finding the perfect session to attend at the Jan. 25-28 Future of Education Technology Conference requires a bit of planning and precision, with hundreds of discussions and special workshops across five key categories. All feature experts in the field, those who have both shaped learning through technology or led the way on its implementation at small and large districts across the nation.

While featured speaker sessions and keynotes are always annual highlights, especially the engaging Tech Share LIVE!, there are scores of signature talks and dynamic leaders that cannot be missed. From those, District Administration, with the help of conference chair Jennifer Womble, selected 10 sessions that are sure to be standouts at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando:

1. 1. Leading and Teaming with District Technology Leaders: Three Superintendent Perspectives. Want to ensure your district’s digital transformation goes smoothly? Superintendents Mark Benigni (Meriden Public Schools, CT), Scott Muri (Ector County ISD, TX) and Matthew Miller (Lakota Local School District, OH) will share how they support and leverage the innovative work and input of chief technology officers and leaders.
   2. Let’s Bring Literacy To Life Through Making and Technology! On the Future of Ed Tech Library Media Specialist track, featured speaker Shannon McClintock Miller, the innovation director of instructional technology and library media at the Van Meter School District in Iowa, will show educators how to bring literacy to life through making and with digital tools and apps.
   3. Twenty-two for ’22: Tools and Trends to Inspire & Motivate. In this “fast-paced, lighthearted session guaranteed to tickle your geeky side”, Dr. Maureen Yoder will impart inexpensive new tips and tools—from AI, AR and VR to drones, robots and coding—that can make any teacher shine while truly activating classrooms.
   4. District Tech Leaders Power Panel: Reliance on other leaders during the pandemic has been essential for district technology leaders, and this panel led by Greg Bagby of the Hamilton County (TN) Department of Education will discuss the benefits of remote changes and teamwork across districts and the adaptation of face-to-face plans.
   5. Engaging EdTech Ideas for Digital Citizenship & Social/Emotional Learning. Christina Nunez, Educational Technology Specialist Trainer at Albuquerque Public Schools, addresses five key areas of digital citizenship (including media literacy, privacy, cyberbullying and hate speech) and SEL (including social awareness and responsible decision-making).
   6. How We Use Tech to Build Teachers Up Through Feedback. Michael Meechin, principal at NeoCity Academy (FL), will discuss how leaders can quantify the benefits of technology and give customizable and immediate feedback to instructional staff. The goal: offering technology that teachers want to improve their schools and student outcomes.
   7. Emerging Tech: Transforming Classrooms with Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. Rachelle Dene Poth, Spanish and STEAM teacher at Riverview School District, and Jaime Donally of ARVRinEDU, will give attendees a primer on how new technologies can be implemented into classrooms to spark learning and excitement.

      

   8. STEM SAVES THE WORLD! Coming to a Screen Near You! In this mega session, TV creators and producers Kari Byron and Jenny Buccos of EXPLR Media talk about the importance of creative media in STEM subjects, especially science, while highlighting the impacts of storytelling for students.
   9. Education in the Crosshairs: K12 vs Cybercrime. A deep concern for any district, online crime has led to big payouts and data vulnerabilities. Get guidance from retired FBI Special Agent Scott Augenbaum and leaders from Forward Edge on mitigation strategies, the need for layered security, federal and state data privacy law implications and funding options.
   10. Coaching Through Uncertainty: Sustain Support With Empathy. On the Future of EdTech Coach, learn the four phrases you can use to reframe and reimagine support for educators and to better foster empathetic cultures. Featured speaker Brianna Hodges will provide guidance to help administrators and their teams lead schools through waves of anxiety, adversity and seemingly unending uncertainty.

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The non-profit North America Scholastic Esports Federation is teaming up with the International Esports Federation to help infuse NASEF’s curriculum and programs to schools and educators worldwide.

NASEF’s executive director, Gerald Solomon, has been appointed Chair of the World Esports Education Commission.

“Youth around the world are enthralled with esports, so it makes sense to connect play and learning for all kids, no matter where they reside or their living circumstances,” Solomon said. “We’re excited to work with IESF member nations to implement our scholastic esports programs to positively impact their students and position them to thrive and acquire the skills needed for high-demand careers.”

Through the partnership, IESF members from more than 100 nations and five continents will gain access to the tools to help students forge future pathways through esports and NASEF’s unique academic offerings. The IESF plans to help implement NASEF’s standards-based curriculum used in high schools, career tech and middle schools.

“Across the world, educators are looking for compelling ways to connect with their students and teach them valuable skills in an enjoyable atmosphere,” Vlad Marinescu, president of IESF said. “NASEF has spent years developing and refining its scholastic esports system; this alliance will allow us to leverage that expertise for the benefit of IESF students and athletes worldwide.”

In a field that is growing revenues by double-digits annually, the IESF is one of the most recognized forces in video gaming. It hosts the Global Esports Executive Summit, the Global Esports Academic Competiton and the Esports World Championship, which is the largest in the world.

NASEF is fast becoming one of the world’s premier esports forces too, having restructured its leadership team over the past year with top industry standouts while forging partnerships with the High School and Middle School Esports Leagues, the National Association of Collegiate Esports and global talent development platform Tallo. It has been building a pipeline of connections all over the globe, from England to Japan, while continuing to offer premier value for educators through initiatives such as its Scholastic Fellows Programs and camps for students.

The post NASEF to share esports curriculum with world-leading organization appeared first on District Administration.

Along with events being planned by the North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF), the High School Esports League has opened registration for its Summer Challenge, which will feature several leaderboard-style tournaments.

The Challenge offers both PC and console gaming for competitions in more than 10 games, including CS:GO, Overwatch, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Rainbow 6 Siege, Call of Duty, Chess.com, Hearthstone, NBA 2k21 Pro-Am, Valorant and Minecraft. Students can win ASUS merchandise during the tournament, which runs from July 5-25, with playoffs set for early August.

“School may be out for summer, but students still want to compete. HSEL has put together an extensive line-up of tournaments in our Summer Challenge,” said Conner Alne, commissioner of HSEL. “As a team environment, esports is a great way for kids to stay connected socially over the summer.”

Another way for students to connect is through a free Junior CLG Virtual Camp being offered by NASEF and esports organization CLG. Created to give young gamers a chance to develop new esports skills and assess opportunities, the camp offers creative projects with CLG’s professional players, staff, and industry experts. The camps are effectively three weeks of one-hour session – Fortnite (July 12-16), Minecraft (July 19-23) and Gaming Careers (July 26-30) with a one-day bootcamp in Valorant (July 17) in between.

“These free summer programs are the first of many examples of the expanded impact that NASEF and HSEL will have as they jointly offer opportunities to members of both organizations,” said Todd Harris, board chair of NASEF. “Our goal is to reach even more kids with fun scholastic esports programs that will help them build life and career skills. These summer 2021 esports camps, challenges, and scrims, will do just that.”

NASEF also is also providing friendly competitions in League of Legends, Overwatch, Rocket League, Madden 21, SMITE and TFT throughout the summer via its Scrimfinder+ tool.

Stride Inc. is also offering a number of camps, including a free-tuition, two-week esports and coding camp for students in grades 7-11 on July 19-29. Stride is offering two levels – basic and intermediate – to learn as well as competitions featuring Gamer Sensei coaches. Those who complete camps can earn badges to post on Tallo to show their proficiencies.

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Tallo’s site and app boast more than 1.5 million users, who are openly positioning their skills so recruiters can see their ‘rÁ©sumÁ©s’ and connect with them. Comparisons have been made to LinkedIn or Rivals.com for the 13-and-over age group.

So, it became almost a natural that Tallo get connected with one of the rising forces in scholastic development and a powerful industry that drives young career-pathway seekers: esports.

On Thursday, Tallo announced a partnership with the North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF) that will create what it calls “the largest virtual network of young esports talent and the higher education institutions and employers looking to recruit them.”

NASEF, which has made big splashes in recent months with announcements of collaborative agreements with the High School Esports League, Middle School Esports League and the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), has more than 1,500 clubs that foster both video game competitions and the academic components surrounding them. It has the only state-credentialed curriculum among all of the academic esports organizations. For scholastic gamers, that means more of a heavy focus on those skillsets that are less about winning and more about best routes to potential careers—as web designers, graphic artists, storytellers, marketing managers and business leaders.

“NASEF’s goal has always been to leverage student interest in esports to help prepare them for STEM and STEAM career pathways. This partnership with Tallo will give students a mechanism to showcase their strengths as strategists, content creators, entrepreneurs, organizers—and as high-caliber competitors in a team environment,” said Gerald Solomon, founder and executive director of NASEF.

Tallo already serves some 27,000 high schools and 4,500 higher education institutions. But this expands into a relatively untapped and growing area in a more cohesive way.

The main benefit for students is the ability to be able to personalize profiles and display their achievements on Tallo in a professional manner. Tallo officials say they will be able to post digital badges from NASEF’s competitions so college esports leaders and even those from professional organizations can see their skills. In addition, those profiles can contain other areas of expertise and talents; for example, shoutcasting skills for those who call the events or design work that can accompany those profiles.

For more information on either organization, go to www.tallo.com or NASEF.org or check out Tallo on Instagram or Twitter at @apptallo.

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The High School Esports League and its newly created Middle School Esports League have primarily concentrated on the competitive gaming side, while the North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF) has focused largely on helping students build STEM-based and critical-thinking skills central to the industry.

More recently, it has become tough to differentiate the organizations, especially as NASEF started to add more live competitions and the HSEL has focused hard on adding academic pieces.

So, when the organizations—NASEF and HSEL’s parent company Generation Esports—announced today they will combine forces to bring gaming and education together to K-12 students, it was keyboard-jarring, but really makes a lot of sense.

“NASEF has always seen HSEL as the leading provider of K12 esports competitions in the nation,” said Gerald Solomon, founder and executive director of NASEF. “What brings us together are our core values and ethics, the fact that HSEL and NASEF put the students first. That the core focus is on helping children, especially those who are disenfranchised and unengaged succeed, and thrive, is the real opportunity for esports in the world.”

Solomon, the former Executive Director at the Sameuli Foundation, will become President of Global Esports and Education within the HSEL.

This almost unimaginable alliance of national entities will now serve more than 150,000 students and 5,000 schools across 31 countries. Both NASEF and HSEL have experienced meteoric growth in the past two years, showing resiliency during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is expected to continue as schools begin to open up more during the fall.

“We see this venture as a real need for the esports industry,” said Mason Mullenioux, co-founder and CEO of HSEL. “NASEF’s depth of experience in the educational benefits of esports makes it the acknowledged leader of the field, both nationally and globally. It transformed scholastic esports by developing the only program with a true state-credentialed curriculum, using esports as the lens through which STEM/STEAM skills and workforce pathways are defined.”

What they bring to the table … together

The HSEL’s ability to reach the hardcore gaming crowd—those interested in robust competition through their K-12 schools—does uniquely align with NASEF’s mission to give students opportunities in key roles that go hand-in-hand in esports: designers, marketers, social media managers, camera operators, writers and shoutcasters, just to name a few.

“Our NASEF mission remains the same,” said Todd Harris, board chair of NASEF and founder and CEO of Skillshot Media. “To use esports as a platform to develop STEAM-based skills and social-emotional attributes such as communication, collaboration, and problem-solving abilities needed to thrive in work and in life. HSEL, through the strength of their proven competition program, will attract even more students and allow us to deliver even greater positive impact.”

While HSEL provides massive reach to young gamers across the U.S., NASEF offers incredible global reach through its partnerships in the UK, Japan, Israel and many other countries. The potential for continued growth across the world is substantial. For HSEL participating schools, that means a huge boost on the academic side, where they will be able to access “state-credentialed courses, learning materials, and curricula”.

NASEF has repositioned itself well during the pandemic, becoming its own independent nonprofit entity under a new organization called the World Wide Scholastic Esports Foundation, while recently announcing a partnership with the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) that will improve career pathways for students to higher education. For educators, NASEF has so much to offer – from the curriculum piece and huge learning opportunities through Minecraft, to newly arriving game titles such as Hearthstone, Smash Ultimate and Valorant for scrims to a lineup that already includes League of Legends, Overwatch and Rocket League. And all of it is free.

Likewise, the HSEL has enjoyed a steady rise in students and schools coming on board every year since its inception in 2013, but several initiatives over the past year have made it a scholastic esports superpower. The launch of Generation Esports as an umbrella organization along with the addition of the Middle School Esports League, which offers safe seasonal tournaments, teamwork and skill-building, have expanded its reach globally and provided better outcomes for students who participate.

This spring and summer, HSEL offered many competitive games that high school students love, such as NBA 2K21, Smash, Overwatch, CS:GO and Rainbow Six Siege and the fall promises so much more. The HSEL has several cost options for schools that want to compete, including seasonal tournament passes and unlimited passes. It also features its own Gaming Concepts curriculum and a connection to the Varsity Esports Foundation that can assist Title I schools or those on the National School Lunch Program to participate.

“The convergence of HSEL’s competitive efforts with the proven academic resources and experience of NASEF gives us the collective opportunity to provide full wrap-around support for our students, and to forge a further pathway for them,” said Conner Alne, commissioner of HSEL.

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As students continue to show interest in STEM fields, leveraging potential connections that can made through organizations such as NASEF bring with it opportunities to seek out the many potential pathways that exist through esports, such as shoutcasting, design, marketing, management and entrepreneurship.

The games and tournaments are only part of the equation. NASEF’s Beyond the Game challenges along with its team-based club concept helps promote collaboration and foster learning experiences. All of the work NASEF does is free to student gamers.

“Research demonstrates the effectiveness of sports as a tool for meaningful STEM and social-emotional learning,” said Gerald Solomon, founder and executive director of NASEF. “We’re thrilled to have the Arizona Coyotes in the NASEF family, where educators will be able to learn best practices from other community networks with experience implementing scholastic esports programs. Of course, the students will be thrilled to take part in huge tournaments in popular games. We’re excited to support the Arizona Coyotes and see the growth across Arizona in the coming years.”

Aside from those pathways, NASEF offers a variety of opportunities for for middle and high school students to put their gaming skills to use in tournaments, including Overwatch, Madden, Rocket League, Valorant and Minecraft.

It also offers one that speaks to a hockey-loving fan base – NHL21. NASEF has hosted tournaments in the past along with its other partners: the Vegas Golden Knights, Anaheim Ducks and the Florida Panthers. Bringing the Coyotes on board spreads the knowledge and fun to yet another area.

“The Arizona Coyotes are excited to partner with the North America Scholastic Esports Federation to engage with the rapidly expanding esports community,” said Coyotes Strategic Advisor Alex Meruelo, Jr. “The Coyotes will proudly dedicate resources through our school program to help develop esports opportunities and promote the growth of gaming and education in the state of Arizona. We look forward to collaborating with NASEF on this great initiative.”

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