Your child has been playing games since they’ve been able to walk. Over the years, as they’ve grown into a little person, their passion for playing grew into an obsession with video games. They dream of competing in esports tournaments or streaming their gameplay to the rest of the world, and, after many a worried Google search, you’ve discovered that the esports industry is huge and offers amazing opportunities for your little gamer. From gaming to coaching to shoutcasting, to marketing and video editing, you’re convinced that this spark of passion will serve them well into the future.
But right now they’re just playing games without much structure or purpose. You wish there was a way to add valuable lessons and balance to their gaming time and to help your child begin exploring career options.
Sound familiar? You’ve landed on the right internet page, dear reader.
Did you know that the school your child attends can expose them to valuable STEM and career exploration lessons, all under the guise of competitive gaming, or esports? Follow the steps below to inspire your school to partner with Mastery Coding and bring real, ACADEMIC esports to your students.
Assemble a Group of Parents
Navigating a school’s bureaucracy on your own is no simple task. To save your time, that’s undoubtedly already busy with homework help, care, and planning extracurricular activities for your youngsters, assemble a team of like-minded parents. With enough members, you’ll be able to split up duties and play to each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
For this initiative, gather up the parents with the most class involvement. Go-getters and the most ambitious parents you know will more likely commit more time and have more sway to successfully implement esports into your school’s curriculum.
Understand the Games Your Child and Their Class Would Like to Play
Before you begin your work, make sure you have a clear understanding of which games your child and their peers are interested in. Every class will likely have a different preference.
Once you know which games are of interest, we recommend that you learn about the game and what it contains. Before proceeding, ensure that it is age and school-appropriate. Additionally, discuss the game of choice with your child’s peer’s parents. The quickest way to derail your initiative to bring esports to your school is to advocate for games that make other parents feel uncomfortable.
Bring up the Idea to Your Child’s Teacher(s)
When you know there’s significant interest in adding a computer science or esports course to your child’s school, bring up the idea with your teachers. They may already be searching for a program or materials that will be in line with your goals. They might also be able to help get initiatives through the school bureaucracy.
Plus, having a teacher or two on your side is of the utmost importance. Without their support, all the effort made to bring esports to your school may not end up in your child’s specific classroom!
Talk to Your School’s Principal
After collecting a group of interested parents, gathering teachers' support, and gaining an understanding of which games your child and their classmates would like to play, you’re ready to speak with your school’s principal. Depending on the structure of your child’s school, the principal may be able to make the decision to bring on esports. If not, they’ll definitely be able to route you to the right decision-makers. If your child attends a public school, you’ll likely be sent in the direction of district leaders.
Identify How It Will Benefit Your Child, Their Class, and Their School
To successfully implement a new course or program into your school, you’ll need to develop a solid argument for it.
To begin, peruse this article on the Benefits of Partnering with Mastery Coding. This article lists ways that our courses can benefit students, teachers, and schools. It’s a great resource to start off your investigation.
Once you have cataloged the general benefits, think about your local community. Consider the specific needs your school and its students, teachers, and staff have. Does your school lack teachers that are trained in computer science? Is your school looking for new income channels and ways to boost enrollment? Are your school’s students excited about a certain video game and are missing sports games or avoiding extracurriculars as a result? Taking note of these needs will be essential to your investigative process.
Present Information to Your School Leaders/PTA Meetings
Once you have chosen a course or program, garnered parent and teacher support, and are aware of the benefits it can bring to your school, you’re ready to present! Reach out to your school’s PTA or go directly to your school’s administration.
If these leaders agree with your reasoning and decide to move forward, your work is done. Pass off your information and pat yourself on the back!
If the administration or powers that be decide against the addition, consider their reasoning. Are they concerned about funding? Do they not see the value of esports or coding? Record their concerns, retreat, and spend time with your team to address these concerns. If you approach them again at a later time with new information, or perhaps with additional community interest or funding, you might just be able to convince them!
Interested in Learning More?
Our blog, the MC Byte, is chock-full of informative content! From career exploration, to healthy gaming practices, to coding exercises, we have you covered!
Our Recommendations for You:
To read a testimony from a former student see: "Pathway Esports got me into Video Editing", says YouTube Gamer
To learn more about the benefits of esports see: The Benefits of Esports
To find more information about esports in schools see: A Case for Esports in Schools
To learn more about how esports build social-emotional skills see: Healthy Gaming: Social Emotional Learning in Academic Esports
Want to Learn More About Mastery Coding?
We’d love to hear your questions! Fill out our Contact Form to get in contact with one of our specialists. We’d love to help you bring Mastery Coding to your school!
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