Developed by the North American Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF), new high school curriculum teaches business and career skills using a national esports environment.

Several Miami-Dade County public schools are piloting a thrilling, state-credentialed, high school curriculum recently developed by the NASEF, which leverages esports (team-based video gaming) to teach a variety of high-demand career skills. Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is partnering with the Federation’s newly formed affiliate, the non-profit Florida Scholastic Esports League (FLSEL), to connect meaningful learning to gameplay.

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Ten STEM or STEAM schools, with strong career and technical education (CTE) offerings, were selected for this pilot program. They include the following:

• Holmes Braddock Senior High
• Itech @ Thomas A. Edison Educational Center
• Miami Lakes Educational Center and Technical College
• Miami Southridge Senior High
• Miami Springs Senior High
• North Miami Beach Senior High
• North Miami Senior High
• South Dade Senior High
• Southwest Miami Senior High
• Terra Environmental Research Institute

“The innovative esport competition curriculum will allow students to gain valuable skillsets for the workplace,” said Schools Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho. “Our ‘one-size fits none’ approach ensures each student can navigate an individualized pathway that will help them succeed professionally in this 21st century economy.”

NASEF’s esports curriculum does not focus on teaching students how to play games. Rather, it looks at the broader ecosystem of career possibilities related to esports and other industries, ranging from 3-D animation and design, to marketing, to data analytics and more. Students’ deep interest in games and the industry yields a strong desire to master the coursework. In addition to the CTE and STEAM skills learned, students also will strengthen traits such as teamwork, communication and collaboration.

“Miami-Dade schools are known for being forward-thinking while focusing on valuable learning,” said Tom Turner, Chief Education Officer of NASEF. “Integrating a high-interest activity like esports into teaching provides significant benefits to students — academic engagement, student agency, real world connections, and career awareness.”

“Esports programs are growing rapidly in the education arena. Teachers are seeing the value of using competitive gaming to strengthen STEM education and to practice many of the soft skills students will need in the workforce. Esports is something that students are already interested in.  MDCPS is just taking that interest and tying it to learning that can lead to college and career success,” said Lisette Alves, Assistant Superintendent, Division of Academics.

M-DCPS is a key partner in the formation and implementation of the Florida Scholastic Esports League (FLSEL) to ensure that the great work produced at NASEF is brought down to every school in the region. High schools across the District will now be able to form on-campus esports clubs, playing in regional and national esports tournaments while incorporating important learning through their coaching, clinics, Beyond the Game™ creative and analytic challenges, and more. Participation in NASEF/FLSEL clubs and tournaments is completely free, including all competitions and the variety of supportive and instructional resources that will be provided to schools and advisors.

For further information on FLSEL, contact Laylah Bulman at [email protected].

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. 

Media Contacts

Daisy Gonzalez-Diego
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
[email protected]
305-995-2060

Claire LaBeaux
NASEF
[email protected]
925-337-0244