The North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF), a partner with Tech & Learning's new Leveling Up Esports Conference & Expo, has announced it will be transitioning to an independent non-profit to continue growth and expansion of the unique education platform.
Through its scholastic esports programs, NASEF has bolstered STEM learning and interest by giving students opportunities to learn and apply skills that are relevant to careers in gaming and other fields. A research team at the University of California, Irvine, demonstrated many measurable impacts on students, including:
- NASEF students change their views of science overall, increasing STEM Engagement and STEM Career Interest, and their understanding of STEM Value.
- Students in NASEF increase social awareness of others and relationship skills, largely due to the active role of NASEF coaches and GMs.
- Students from lower-income schools showed greater educational gains than students from higher-income schools.
The new independent nonprofit World Wide Scholastic Esports Foundation will be led by a team with experience in esports, technology, and education. The combined industry perspectives will enable NASEF to continue on its growth trajectory.
Effective January 1, 2021, NASEF will begin operations as an independent entity operated by WWSEF. Core partners will continue their engagement with NASEF. These include: Connected Camps, the Connected Learning Lab at UC Irvine, the Orange County Department of Education (California), and UCI Esports. Interim support will be provided by NASEF's creator, the Samueli Foundation, to provide a seamless transition of programming as well as global expansion.
Todd Harris is CEO of the new WWSEF. He co-founded Hi-Rez Studios, an industry-leading video game developer, and is also founder and CEO of Skillshot Media, which operates competitive video game competitions. “The esports industry has been thrilled to see NASEF’s growth, as it educates youth about the entire ecosystem of esports and the wide variety of career options. I’m excited to work with the NASEF team to continue to connect play and learning for kids around the world,” he said.
