College students participating in esports received $16 million in scholarship money from 2018-2019. Esports are multiplayer video games played competitively in front of the spectators. In 2023, the amount of scholarship money has risen to $21 million. The growth of esports continues to keep pace with the increasing popularity and cultural significance.

The idea of using video games as a platform for official competition with students isn’t new, but the ease of implementation has allowed it to flourish in schools. Just watch a few minutes of the 1990 Nintendo World Championship. Yes, it is an old video from a time long gone, but it took the full resources of Nintendo and Blockbuster (rest in peace) to plan and arrange this.

With the tools available now, just about every school can provide a Nintendo World Championship experience for their students and community. Esports can easily exist, and it can also provide a scholastic experience for students. 

STEM in Esports

At its foundation, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is an interdisciplinary approach that helps students succeed in college and in their future careers. Video games and esports, in turn, are products of STEM. Using the Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF)’s Esports Ecosystem Framework, we can see that surrounding the players participating in esports are STEM careers and skills. 

“That’s the whole power of esports. Through participating, in some way, whether you’re a player, a caster, a graphic designer, or however you’re involved, it is an opportunity for a student to discover who they want to be after high school and even after college. So, that is a big driving force behind why we do esports here. And hopefully that rubs off on them, that this is much bigger than all of us, and we have to do things for the greater good and not just for ourselves.” (NASEF 2020.03.05 coach interview)

Esports also allow students to think more like scientists or engineers. The games that esports players play are updated on what seems like a weekly basis, so the way the games are played changes just enough to create a vastly different experience. Much like scientists, an entire esports team has to work together to identify a problem or, in this case, changes in a game. They must then think of possible solutions, test those solutions, and determine if they successfully solve the problem or allow the players to play the game in the best possible way. 

After speaking to many collegiate esports coaches, especially from smaller colleges, I’ve learned that scholarship opportunities aren’t just available for the best players. Scholarship opportunities exist for students who can run a website, design graphics, and stream games online. There are so many opportunities in esports. 

How Schools Can Build an Esports Program

In its most intense and competitive form, esports can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be if you scale it down. It is possible to try esports at your school, no matter what grade level. Many schools have started to incorporate esports into their curriculum, providing students with access to gaming equipment and competitions. This not only makes esports more accessible but also promotes teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.

Let’s use Tetris as an example. Yes, Tetris, the world’s best-selling video game. Tetris can be played for free using tetr.io, and you can even host games for the entire class. Using this completely free multiplayer game, you can have your very own classroom competition. Students create their own teams, design a logo using free tools like Canva, write their club charter, plan school events and competitions, and they can even stream these competitions using platforms like Google Meet or Zoom. All of this won’t cost you a single dime. 

If you wanted to make esports more scholastic or academic, you could even turn esports into a project-based learning experience by having students create their own esports game, complete with its own narrative. Tools like Microsoft MakeCode Arcade and Scratch can allow them to do this. 

For more information on how to start an esports program or develop an esports experience, please contact me at dubui@kentisd.org

#esports #STEM #Innovation #WeLeadLearning #KentISDpd

This blog post was written by Du Bui, STEM Consultant for Kent ISD, and edited by Amanda Walma, Professional Learning Coordinator for Kent ISD.