NASEF entered the world of high school esports with a mission that sets us apart from other organizations. We’ve distinguished the difference between esports and scholastic esports. A major difference between the two is that scholastic esports is focused on helping students learn and become more through competitive esports. NASEF charges nothing to schools or students to participate, and in addition, we’ve been fortunate to help fund school grants and scholarships thanks to the Samueli Foundation.

Our organization was founded with the 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.” NASEF works with partners year-round to accomplish this mission. 

Some of our work has included:

• Developing a high school English Language Arts curriculum approved by the state of California.
• Organizing daily live streams that include Q&A with professionals in STEM-related fields.
• Sponsoring Beyond the Game™ Challenges for students with interests in the different sectors of the Esports Ecosystem like graphic design, video production, digital marketing, journalism, data analytics and more.
• Creating opportunities for students to compete for scholarships as well as grants for their schools. 

These are only a few examples of the ways we’ve helped create an environment that gives students opportunities to thrive within the world of scholastic esports. We love seeing our team’s vision come to life as we hear stories from students, parents, and administrators telling us the impact that their involvement with a NASEF club has had on their lives. 

Recently, a high school principal shared about a student who was on the verge of dropping out of high school who became motivated to improve his grades because he wanted to join the esports club on campus. On one of our campus visits, we spoke with a student excited to share how she overcame her social anxiety as a result of her involvement with her school’s esports club. 

NASEF’s impact on schools and community-based organizations has also been made with grants. Most people would agree that many schools in North America can put financial resources to great use. Whether it’s a grant that assists a club with a purchase of their team jerseys, or helping a school with buying computer peripherals, NASEF works with our partners to create these opportunities for our clubs.

Since this past fall, we’ve been fortunate enough to give $18,725.00 in grants to schools, over 10 mentoring sessions with esports professionals, and $5,500 in scholarships to students across North America!

When Nik V. won the NASEF Coastal Cup and NASEF NHL 20 Scholastic Esports Tournament, his school, Halifax West High School in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, was awarded a grant of $4,500! 

Nik V., Halifax West High School in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

What Do Others Say About Their Students’ Participation with NASEF? 

After the esports club won Troy High School a $500 grant in our Fall 2019 Community Play-In, Troy’s principal Mr. William Mynster said: 

“Thank you very much for the support of our esports teams and students! Our Troy staff and students have worked very hard to get our teams where they are having fun and are competitive.” 

In recognition of their performance in our Fall 2019 tournament, Rocklin High School received a grant for $2,500 and 10 HyperX headsets! One of Rocklin’s administrators said: 

“Thank you so much!  We are very grateful for the opportunity. And I don't know if we said this at the time, but the students said that if they had not won, and no other prizes were given, they were more than satisfied with the opportunity to go down there, tour, meet other gamers and interact on such a huge stage! So thank you again!”

At NASEF, gamers aren’t the only competitors who help schools receive grants! 

Our Beyond the Game™ (BTG) Challenges offer a fun and exciting opportunity for students with a wide variety of skills to showcase their talents. After receiving a $600 grant in one of our BTG Challenges, Magnolia High School’s principal Ms. Daphne Hammer said: 

“This is great news!  Our coaches and team do a great job and we are really proud of them!  Thanks for your support and acknowledgement!” 

The Best Is Yet to Come

We’re almost halfway through 2020, and we have plans to give away even more grants and scholarships!

The opportunity for students to make an impact on their clubs and campuses grows each day that NASEF expands across all the United States, every province in Canada, into Puerto Rico, and Mexico. 

We’re also expanding globally through our International Partnerships. Corporate partnerships help provide additional resources for us to pass along to our students, administrators, campuses, and organizations. 

Will one of your students be our next scholarship recipient? 

Can your scholastic esports club win your school or community organization a grant? 

We hope so! Our team loves seeing the impact that our students are making on their campuses and community organizations. 

Students, Parents and Administrators: Please be sure to read our weekly newsletter to see opportunities where your students, campus or organization can receive scholarships or grants. 

If you represent an organization that would like to be a part of what NASEF is doing, you may contact us at [email protected] to speak with someone on the team.

If you’re looking to join the excitement around scholastic esports, there’s no better time than right now. It’s quick, simple, and you’ll have our help with everything from information for your IT department to educational resources for your teachers. 

Good Luck, Have Fun!