What is Scholastic Esports?

Scholastic esports leverages video games as an engaging instructional method to enhance learning and student participation. By connecting with students' passions, it fosters skills like problem-solving, teamwork, and digital literacy while addressing challenges such as chronic absenteeism. This approach transforms classrooms into dynamic spaces that prepare students for future-ready careers.

Benefits of Scholastic Esports

Scholastic esports offers many benefits that extend beyond gaming itself. One of the most notable benefits is improved student engagement and motivation. By integrating esports into the curriculum, educators tap into students' passion for gaming, making learning more enjoyable and interactive.

A yearlong attendance study from three U.S. high schools also showed clear results. Across 229 esports participants, average absences dropped from 10.84 to 9.10 days. Schools regained 259.5 student days and protected about 20106 dollars in ADA equivalent funding. This gives leaders a measurable reason to use scholastic esports as part of their engagement and attendance strategy.

Another study found that in just one month of implementing games into the classroom just for 20 minutes, the attendance of the participating students increased by 21% and their suspensions decreased by 27%.

Examining the facts also reveals a compelling narrative: 73% of children over the age of two engage in video games, a number that surges to 97% during their teenage years. Furthermore, young girls who play video games are 3.3 times more likely to explore STEM subjects, while teenagers who embrace gaming are 70% more likely to pursue STEM majors in college. Leveraging the educational power of gaming opens doors to a brighter future for all students. Through the adoption of scholastic esports, schools can actively contribute to their students' path to success.

Still unsure how scholastic esports works in real schools? We put together a short one pager that highlights real examples from districts across the U.S. You can download it at the end of this blog.

Scholastic Esports vs. Competitive Esports

Competitive esports is similar to traditional sports in the sense that it involves teams competing against each other to be the best, to win tournaments, and to win prizes and awards. On the other hand, scholastic esports opens a new future for young adolescents by equipping them with 21st-century skills, STEM skills, communication skills, and technology skills, which later translate into life career development, technical development, digital citizenship, and opening up career opportunities.

Competitive Esports

Aims for performance and results
Follows strict practice routines
Prioritizes competition

Scholastic Esports

Supports skill building
Connects to coursework
Uses games as a tool for instruction
Emphasizes teamwork, behavior, and digital citizenship

Both can coexist, but their goals are different. Scholastic esports is designed to support students’ academic and personal development. If you are curious about the difference between esports and gaming, make sure to check out our blog on the subject.

The Educational Power of Scholastic Esports

Scholastic esports intersects with many CTE pathways, including the Arts, Entertainment, & Design Career Cluster and Digital Technology Cluster. Esports curriculums go beyond gameplay, introducing students to high-need, high-wage, and high-skill careers.

Key clusters include:

Design and Digital Arts: Teaching graphic design, animation, and user experience.
Media Production and Broadcasting: Skills in video production, filmmaking, and journalism.
IT and Cybersecurity: Covering essential digital skills like ethical hacking and network administration.

By integrating these topics, esports curriculums prepare students for real-world careers while keeping them engaged in school.

Conclusion: Enhancing Education with Esports

Scholastic esports reshapes how schools think about instruction. It turns student interest into meaningful learning. It increases engagement, improves attendance and opens pathways toward technology and media careers.

Schools use scholastic esports because it works for many students who feel disconnected from typical classes. With clear structure, simple tools, and curriculum aligned with CTE pathways, any school can build a program that supports learning and belonging.

Interested in starting a scholastic esports program? Let us guide you! Schedule a short meeting to learn how to integrate esports into your school.

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