Community Highlight

AFNTS is a firm believer in promoting innovation in technology and encouraging communities to do the same. As a part of this initiative, we are proud to feature a school community doing wonderful things with technology. In this instance, we would like to acknowledge the efforts of Elsipogtog, who have established an e-sports league in their school. We spoke to Jerron Augustine, who is the facilitator of the e-sports league, and here is what he had to say about it.

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“The idea of creating an esports league for our school came from our trip to New Orleans attending the FETC. There were some seminars touching on the subject of eSports and eLeagues which Jeremy and I attended - specifically, NASEF (North American Scholastic eSports Federation) It was through their seminars that we saw the value that eSports can actually bring to education. "Gaming for good". The idea of using it as a motivational tool to encourage students to be more engaged during school hours was a major selling point. It can be viewed as a reward system of sorts.

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So eSports is nothing new to me, or anyone my age, or younger - it's everywhere now and attracting more and more people. The amount of career opportunities that branch from eSports is nothing short of amazing. Game design, coaching, event planning, graphic artist, video production, streaming, broadcasting...the list goes on. It opens these career possibilities to those that may not have known it was a potential pathway, and gives them hands-on experience that is invaluable.

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The one thing we agreed on unanimously was it needed to be tied to academics in some way - and so we decided that any students that want to play must follow the academic standard that is expected of them in school. They need to do their work, listen to their teachers, and come to school. If a student falls short in any of these categories, they are removed from the league until they correct the issue. It seems harsh, but we want these kids to see this as a reward/privilege, and not a right. The idea of it potentially correcting behavioural issues with some students is a little hopeful as of this moment, but not outside the realm of possibility in the future.”