Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federations Supports Educator Professional Development with Continued Growth of Acclaimed Professional Development Program 

(Atlanta, Georgia – October 26, 2023) – The Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federations (NASEF) has selected 44 educators from around the world as this year’s class of scholastic fellows and mentors. The NASEF Fellows program has risen in profile as a meaningful program that provides esports and educational leaders the opportunity to collaborate with a global community in developing unique pathways for young people to game and grow.

Scholastic fellows were chosen through a competitive process that brought in applicants from across North America and affiliates around the world. Scholastic mentors successfully completed the fellows’ program last year; they will apply their experience as they work individually with this year’s fellows to guide them to greater success. An additional handful of leaders has now risen to the level of NASEF Community Leader; these trainer-of-trainers have developed their own programs, mentored others, and now will continue to pour their efforts into strengthening the scholastic esports community.

Jorrel Batac, NASEF’s Chief Operating Officer, leads the NASEF Fellows program . Jorrel  has 15 years of experience as a teacher, instructional designer, and educational leader helping communities connect play and learning. He works closely with well-regarded educators on NASEF’s staff: Jihan Johnston and James Wood (who completed the Fellow and Mentor Program as a middle school math teacher). The team provides individual coaching and collaborative sessions to help each member of the fellows program clarify their vision for their esports class and crystalize it into a program that can be adopted by others to benefit young people worldwide. 

Batac said, “It has been a privilege to support the global collaborations that esports and education leaders have explored through their participation in this program. This will be the 5th generation of Scholastic Fellows and I am excited to see how they will build their programs on top of all of the incredible ideas of previous cohorts. With over 150+ leaders and over 20+ countries, we are connecting passionate people through a unique professional development pathway and community.”

“The Scholastic Fellows program is a cornerstone of our work and impact,” said NASEF’s Executive Director, Gerald Solomon. “As NASEF’s international influence expands, the variety of settings and applications of scholastic esports programs grows as well. The Fellows’ Community Library of curriculum provides a vast set of resources to equip new and experienced teachers with readily usable materials to support their education programs around the world. This new group of Fellows and Mentors will add significantly to the collective body of knowledge for building and implementing esports clubs and classes.”

Congratulations to the 2023-24 class of NASEF Scholastic Fellows and Mentors!

Scholastic Fellows  

Scholastic Mentors

About NASEF

NASEF is on a mission to provide opportunities for all students to use esports as a platform to acquire STEAM-based skills and critical communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in work and in life. NASEF operates under the umbrella of the World Wide Scholastic Esports Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit headquartered in Atlanta, GA. The International Esports Federation has entrusted NASEF with training and supporting its 130+ member federations as they undertake development of scholastic esports programs. Find NASEF at NASEF.org and on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Media Contact: Claire LaBeaux, [email protected]