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UAE Scholastic Esports Programs Will Grow in Strength and Youth Impact as GOAT Ecademy Builds a New NASEF Affiliate

international wwsef news press release May 31, 2023
NASEF Partnership Announcement with Goat Ecademy

(Sharjah, UAE, 30/5/2023) – Esports are booming, and students in UAE are excited to not just play the games, but to pursue related careers. To support this thirst for competition and education, GOAT Ecademy has just become an affiliate of NASEF. A global NGO, NASEF provides a framework and support for educators around the world as they build programs that connect students’ love of video games and esports to exploration of career pathways, simultaneously developing important personal “soft skills” that will help youth thrive in today’s workforce.

NASEF leverages massive student interest in team-based competitive video gaming, offering meaningful career and STEAM education alongside tournaments in top game titles. Students learn about possible career pathways, enter Beyond the Game creative and analytic challenges, manage clubs and events and fundraising, and compete in tournaments in popular titles including but not limited to Rocket League, Valorant, and Minecraft, to name a few.

"We are excited to be collaborating with NASEF on providing students the skills to start their careers in esports, explore their interests in the domain and what it has to offer, and also provide them a platform to showcase their competitive skills," said Jamil Shatila, GOAT Ecademy Manager.

 GOAT Ecademy’s vision is to create and foster competitive esports programs through the lens of academics and learning in UAE middle schools and high schools by providing assistance, organizing tournaments, and presenting information to schools and advisers. NASEF is supporting similar organizations worldwide and freely shares its unique experience in developing global educational and career pathways. As a non-profit, NASEF focuses on youth impact, emphasizing cultivating talent in all students, particularly those in underserved populations. Through its partnerships, NASEF also helps students uncover pathways to college scholarships and careers in the gaming industry around the world.

 “Research demonstrates the effectiveness of esports as a tool for meaningful STEAM and social-emotional learning,” said Gerald Solomon, founder and executive director of NASEF. “We’re thrilled to welcome GOAT Ecademy to the NASEF family, where educators will be able to learn best practices from scholastic esports programs around the world. We’re excited to support GOAT Ecademy and see the growth across the UAE in the coming years.”

Learn more at the NASEF website or the GOAT Ecademy website. Schools across UAE are invited to join GOAT Ecademy and NASEF and tap into their events and resources; contact [email protected].

About NASEF

NASEF is on a mission to provide opportunities for all students to use esports as a platform to acquire STEM/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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