The new organization will promote education, community value and sportsmanship through the use of gaming and esports

THE YOUTH ARE ALREADY THERE, EAGER TO LEARN, PLAY AND COMPETE

(Tel Aviv, 29th June, 2020)

The Scholastic Esports Federation in Israel launched its activities in Israel today. The new organization has been founded by key players in Israeli education, technology and esports. SEFI’s goals are to promote the use of gaming and esports as a purposeful activity to benefit the youth in Israel. Through virtual competitions and activities they can develop personal and professional skills relevant to innovative career paths in STEM in an authentic and relevant way.

SEFI has been founded with the support of and in affiliation with NASEF, the global leader in scholastic esports. With its launch, SEFI will facilitate Israeli participation in NASEF’S Minecraft Masters Global Competition. In addition, by the end of 2020, SEFI will create and operate the first ever Israeli Scholastic Esports League in cooperation with schools across Israel.

Gaming as an entertainment medium has surpassed the movie and music industry combined in gross revenue. Gaming activities are a gateway to a burgeoning tech industry in which new career paths emerge daily. The joy of playing is a shared trait among all children (and adults), who could be interested in professional play, production, administration, journalism and more. Utilizing gaming as an educational tool, we can create an immersive learning experience in an authentic way and provide students a toolset and values for excellence and thriving in the modern world.

These activities are even more important in the reality of Covid-19 and remote learning. There is a need for creative and effective solutions, and gaming plays an important role in connecting students regardless of geographic distance.

What is Esports?
Esports refers to the sport of competing in video games. Leagues and tournaments today offer upwards of millions of dollars in prizing and are being held in the largest stadiums in the world. Today esports is recognized by dozens of countries worldwide as an official and supported sport and attracts tens of millions of viewers.

Why Esports?
Like in many other recognized sport disciplines, success in esports doesn’t rely solely on the competitor’s raw skill, but also in the supporting team and organization. Esport teams are a sport organization par excellence, one which includes a wide array of roles and careers in various fields including administration, business, technology, and content. The difference in esports is in the technological aspect; esports is a digital platform connecting a vast array of different games and communities through a shared ecosystem of esports professionals.

Teams competing and playing in SEFI's activity will pursue a joint scholastic endeavor where every student can develop skills in their own field and help the success of their team.

Quotes

As an educator I have placed myself at the forefront of Israeli society. Today I am excited to lead a new age in technological education in Israel. SEFI will significantly promote STEM studies and marks Israel as a country of global innovation in education. Only this week the FDA approved video games as treatment for ‘ADHD,’ and we can see the government of Poland including playing video games in their “read” lists for students. The connection between gaming and esports to learning techniques has been proven in research many times. This is the next generation of education.

-Gilad Ravid, Chief Education Officer, SEFI

The scholastic esports movement is gaining traction around the world as educators see how powerful it is to connect learning to the video game play that students love. Research demonstrates that students in NASEF's esports programs make meaningful gains in areas such as STEM skills, STEM engagement and career interest, social emotional learning, and more. We're thrilled to work with the new Scholastic Esports Federation in Israel to leverage these programs to benefit the youth of Israel.

- Gerald Solomon, founder of NASEF and executive director of the Samueli Foundation

About the Scholastic Esports Federation in Israeli

SEFI was founded by key people in Israel from the fields of education, gaming and esports. The organization founders are:

Gilad Ravid - education & community entrepreneur, an Education innovator, Edu-hacker, MBA in dispute resolution and alumni of the Hotam program for teaching

Guy Tomer - International Esports coach, Technological educator and a key person in the Israeli Esports industry

Yoav Sochen - Gaming/Esports entrepreneur, Founder of the Israeli Esports scene, event & broadcast producer. Co-founder of HYPE Gaming

SEFI marks Israel as another forefront in innovative education using gaming, working with the leading organizations worldwide to better Israeli society through gaming and virtual activities

SEFI’s Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

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.

Learn more at the NASEF website. See matches streamed live on our Twitch channel, and join online conversations on Twitter @NASEFedu, Facebook, and Instagram.

For SEFI inquiries contact:
Yoav Sochen
[email protected]
+972546203798