RIT Certified’s Partnership with the National Esports Association
Participants in Inside eSports: Exploring the Business Behind Gaming compete in a match during their week long immersive class designed for high schoolers in partnership with RIT Certified and the National Esports Association.
The emerging field of esports is about more than just video games. In partnership with the National Esports Association (NEA), RIT Certified is helping educate the next generation of gamers to help them turn their hobby into a career as well as help educators understand how gamifying their classrooms can be beneficial to this generation of students. Our partnership is focused on education and engagement, and our goal is to work with the NEA to amplify the work they’re already doing in the world of esports by giving young people pathways into the esports industry.
What is the National Esports Association?
The NEA is headquartered in Rochester and a global leader in esports education and engagement. They provide education to school districts, colleges, and corporations in gamifying work places and classrooms by creating curriculum and training that includes experiential learning for the next generation joining the workforce. Even if educators aren’t teaching about esports, by gamifying the classroom, traditional education can become more relevant and engaging for students, especially those that are neurodivergent and learn best in a non-traditional setting.
What Are Esports?
Esports are multiplayer video games in which players compete against each other with spectators watching them compete. Esports events include players playing against each other while spectators watch, much like a traditional sports game. And much like traditional competitive sports, students can learn skills that go beyond the game and have value in other areas of their lives, such as strategy and problem solving. Esports also allow for more inclusion of all students, including those that are neurodivergent or have disabilities that could exclude them from traditional sports.
President of the National Esports Association, Lori Bajorek, and the Executive Director from RIT Certified, Dennis DiLorenzo, were interviewed about the partnership recently on Good Day Rochester.
The RIT Certified and NEA Partnership
The partnership between RIT Certified and the NEA will result in a range of courses designed to help students learn about the world of esports, including courses for high school students introducing them to the career paths available in the world of esports as well as courses for educators to teach them how to use esports in their classrooms. Together, we’re developing an expanding portfolio of courses with the eventual goal of teaching the importance and value of esports in education as well as educating coaches for different esports games.
Looking Forward
The world of education is changing, and by helping prepare educators for the new ways that students think and learn, RIT Certified and the NEA are ensuring that students are getting the best educational experiences they can. Our first course with the NEA, a one week immersion into the world of esports for high school students, just ran last week, and we are excited to continue developing our esports portfolio. New esports courses are currently being developed, so make sure to sign up for our email list and keep an eye on our Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn for more information once courses are announced.