Scholastic esports is no longer the "wild west" that it once was, even in ... the wild west! Northern California esports leaders recently gathered for quality training from NASEF. After years of assisting thousands of esports clubs and teams, NASEF knows the importance of growing scholastic esports programs on a solid foundation. That's why we did so much research with UC Irvine when we were founded. 

We continue to offer training and development to educators as they look at the wide world of esports and figure out how to make it work in their school, district, or region. NASEF Scholastic Programs Administrator James Wood recently presented two sessions in northern California at the Region 2 Professional Learning Institute hosted at Chico State. In partnership with the Butte County Office of Education, James introduced over 60 participants to esports, shared best practices in forming esports programs, and discussed tournament and funding strategies. Members included everyone from after school program coordinators and Boys & Girls Club leaders, to district administrators. Lots of them had questions; a great indication of the excitement and growth of esports in northern California!

In addition, the Tulare County Office Of Education hosted their first esports community of practice event. They had 19 districts in attendance and are working towards growing esports across their district and region. They shared the NASEF Ecosystem with their members, and helped them formulate a plan for building their district wide roadmap. They shared league resources and are working towards building their community. They are utilizing the "Building your District-Level Scholastic Esports Program" framework, developed by NASEF Community Leader Peter Whitmore in their upcoming sessions (access this guide free in the Learn section of the NASEF Dashboard). 

NASEF loves to share updates from leaders around the world! If you've progressed beyond the "wild west" stage and want to showcase your program, tournament, or class on the NASEF blog, please email us at [email protected] and let's discuss.

Are you just starting an esports program? Looking for advice and help? NASEF can provide in-person (or virtual) training like we did at Chico State. We have a group of dedicated Community Leaders who are eager to share their knowledge and see other students benefit from esports participation. Contact us at [email protected] and let's discuss.