The North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF) launched free esports-related activities for students today as a response to school closures. The launch announcement emphasizes the use of interaction and fun online gatherings in order to avoid physical contact.
“Given the present challenges, we are eager to direct our philanthropy to provide the support that students and communities need,” Gerald Solomon, the founder of NASEF, said.
In light of the school closures, Solomon’s statement adds that the federation is shifting its focus from “competition to community.” According to Solomon, the connection between play and education would allow students to safely engage in esports activities in a meaningful manner.
NASEF’s esports options for students
Starting today, students can check out NASEF’s community club live streams between Monday and Friday. Professionals from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) will also be monitoring the streams. These individuals have experience working with teenage youth and are working to make sure that the environment is positive.
The live streams are being broadcasted on NASEF’s Twitch channel. In between each session, a 15-minute break is given to live streamers in order to ensure their health and wellness.
Today, the channel live-streamed Minecraft, a discussion on tilt management, and a talk with esports coaches on making the most out of practice sessions. This is in addition to a session on what it takes to design and create an esports tournament. Today’s live streams concluded with a community game night, featuring the game Scribbl.io.
In addition to these student activities, educators also get to participate and learn more about the esports world. NASEF has some free online sessions that educators can reserve; these meetings are available through Zoom. Today, teachers could tune into a conversation with David Manning, who is a NASEF Scholastic Fellow. Other activities also included the integration of new technology with scholastic esports, and how to incorporate esports into the classroom.
“Many teachers who are interested in scholastic esports haven’t had time to explore the options and understand how engaging this is for students, the incredible learning opportunity esports present, and the number of free resources available from NASEF,” Tom Turner, the chief education officer of NASEF, said.
Turner adds that while educators are keeping their students on track during school closures, they can also explore tools that would engage young minds.
The daily schedule for these esports activity sessions are available on NASEF’s community club page and events calendar.
