North America Scholastic Esports Federation members stand with Butte County high schoolers as they rebuild schools and community

(Butte County, CA – May 13, 2019) – High school esports players in the North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF) rallied together over the past several months to raise money to help their counterparts in Butte County. Today, more than $65,000 in cash and computers has been granted to the Butte County Office of Education, a result of the combined efforts of NASEF members and their families and friends, along with the support of the Samueli Foundation and iBUYPOWER.

Join Butte County Superintendent Mary Sakuma in a celebration of this community support at a reception to be held at the Inspire School of Arts & Sciences in Chico, CA, on Wednesday, May 15, at 4:00 p.m.

iBUYPOWER provided 40 desktops, laptops and peripherals which will be used to replace and upgrade equipment for high school esports clubs and computer labs across the region. The money will be used to purchase peripherals and monitors, support installation of the new machines, and fund expansion of the esports program.

Mary Sakuma said, “Before the fire, our students were enthusiastically implementing NASEF clubs, practicing for national competitions, and learning about career possibilities in the esports world. The fire pushed that down on the priority list, but we’re thrilled to again rally our students around scholastic esports, an environment where students build a tight-knit community and lifelong career skills at the same time.”

“After a tragedy like the Camp Fire, it’s vital for students to connect with their friends and to be supported through their recovery. Some might think it’s silly to encourage kids who’ve gone through this kind of tragedy to play video games, but the team spirit and the camaraderie of their clubs provides both valuable emotional support and a creative outlet,” said Constance Steinkuehler, Ph.D., an advisor to NASEF and renowned expert on the cognitive and social aspects of video games and gaming.

“What a tremendous boost to morale for our students, who will be reminded of the generosity of the esports community as they use equipment that was provided by other gamers and esports enthusiasts,” said Sakuma. “We are so grateful to NASEF members and leadership and iBUYPOWER for helping our students in this way. We invite all members of the community to join us in the celebration.”

About the North America Scholastic Esports Federation 

The North America Scholastic Esports Federation is working to ensure that ALL students possess the knowledge and skills needed to be society’s game changers: educated, productive, and empathetic individuals. NASEF is on a mission to provide opportunities for ALL students to use esports as a platform to acquire critical communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in work and in life. The Federation’s core values are intertwined through all aspects of education and play: learning, opportunity, community, diversity, and respect.

Under the Samueli Foundation’s leadership, the Federation is led by partners from the Orange County Department of Education, OC STEM Initiative, Connected Camps, Connected Learning Lab, UCI Esports, UCI Henry Samueli School of Engineering, and the UCI Bren School of Information & Computer Science. 

Learn more at the NASEF website. Members of the press can find videos, infographics, and leadership profiles in the online press room. Join online conversations on Twitter @NASEFgg for esports updates and @NASEFedu for our education news, on Facebook and Instagram, and see matches streamed live on our Twitch channel. 

Since 1999, iBUYPOWER has been delivering on its promise to build the best gaming systems for the most discerning gamers.  iBUYPOWER symbolizes several key beliefs: Innovation, Quality, Selection, Community, Performance. These are fundamental attributes of life inside and outside of gaming. You need them all to win. Leading the pack, iBUYPOWER is gaming, defined.