New partners to offer scholarships, networking, and understanding of scholastic esports’ role in preparing students for meaningful careers

COLUMBUS, OH (March 18, 2020) — eFuse, the professional social network for esports and video games, announced today that it has reached an agreement with the North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF) to be the exclusive provider of “learning” content to help site users understand educational possibilities and activities that involve the entire esports ecosystem. NASEF is dedicated to providing opportunities for all students to use scholastic esports as a platform to acquire critical communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in work and life.  

“We have a tremendous amount of respect for NASEF and the leaders within their organization.  Their mission is really important for the ecosystem of K12 education and the future of the opportunities within this industry.  As we began to build our learning page, we knew their rich research, curriculum, and content would be extremely valuable for our eFuse community,” shared Matthew Benson, CEO and Founder of eFuse.  

The newly-published learning page on eFuse [https://efuse.gg/learning] will provide users the ability to learn about all levels of the gaming industry. Ranging from skill development, to fitness, to k12 research, there is something for every gamer. NASEF will be the key developer of K12 content, which will focus on STEM and educational pathways to careers in all aspects of the esports world. Perspectives will be provided from educators, coaches, and students, and will be presented through blogs and videos.

As esports careers multiply, college programs are doing the same. NASEF students are eligible to receive "#ForTheGamers" scholarships being granted by eFuse -- more than $200,000 thus far. Two new $1000 scholarships will be available only to NASEF students. Applications will open to NASEF member students later this year.  

“There are tremendous career opportunities in esports, from business development and marketing, to technical and design roles, to streaming and casting – and of course, gaming itself. NASEF is giving youth an opportunity to envision the possibilities and gain practical experience in those areas,” said Tom Turner, NASEF’s chief education officer. “This partnership with eFuse will provide insights into the burgeoning scholastic esports world that is shaping the esports workforce.

It will also help professionals using eFuse to understand how they can engage with the younger generation to ‘give back’ to up-and-comers. And, it will provide a platform for students to build a portfolio to showcase their work and to network with professionals. We’re excited to see the connections to be made!”

NASEF was founded in 2018 and now has member clubs in more than 45 U.S. states, plus several provinces in Canada. Students participate in NASEF through clubs in their schools, local libraries, YMCAs, and more. Partnerships with the British Esports Association and the Japan High School Esports Federation will yield international events plus learning and exchange opportunities for educators and students. With its platform of scholastic esports, NASEF leverages massive youth interest in video games which are intertwined with intentional life and career lessons.  

eFuse launched their beta web application on January 2nd along with their #ForTheGamers campaign. Industry leaders and influencers have been publicly discussing the platform’s impact as a unified place where the industry can come together and collaborate.  eFuse is also giving away $2020 every week of 2020 in order to impact future gamers and content creators, including the NASEF scholarship described above.  

Benson shares the importance of more K12 gamers understanding that this could be a potential career and pathway, “This is another example how we can use the #ForTheGamers fund to impact students from all over the country.  We understand that investing in the next generation of gamers is extremely important. For us, it’s about access and opportunity. Young gamers need to know that they can take their passion for gaming and turn it into a profession!” 

About eFuse

eFuse was founded in 2018 and is a professional social network for esports and video games - a place where talent and opportunity meet. Available in the form of a web and mobile application, eFuse connects the highly fragmented gaming community and provides tools for individuals to build a unique gaming portfolio, collaborate professionally, and create tailored content. For more information, visit https://efuse.gg/ and follow on social media at @efuseofficial.

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. 

PRESS CONTACTS 
For eFuse:
[email protected] 

For NASEF:
Claire LaBeaux
[email protected]