Compton District Combines Esports and STEAM

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 10/01/19

A California school district is launching a joint STEAM career program with an esports tournament. The Compton Unified School District esports program is intended to help students develop STEAM skills, especially in computer programming, and develop their abilities in collaboration, digital literacy, critical thinking and problem-solving.

The program is being co-sponsored by the Carrot Group, a company that sets up STEAM programs for education, and professional football team the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers have donated $20,000 to supply team gear and transportation for teams to practice and attend tournaments and career days. Several players will also serve as honorary team captains at the tournaments, including wide receiver Geremy Davis, defensive tackle Justin Jones, defensive end Isaac Rochell and quarterback Tyrod Taylor.

The district will bring its four high schools together for the tournament, which will begin play on Oct. 14. Each student team will have six players and one alternate. Once a week for six weeks after school, they'll play a 60-minute Overwatch match online. Participants will also attend a two-hour orientation and career pathway session that will cover jobs in the video game industry and access to a free online, college-level course in game design.

The tournament, provided at no cost to students, will finish in a play-off round with the best team from each school competing until two winners face off in a live two-hour championship event in December. Prizes will include tickets for the winning team to attend a Chargers home game, a gaming accessories package, a VIP trip to meet with leading video game production designers, a district esports championship ring and a scholarship to attend a game design bootcamp.

Registration is free and open until Oct. 4. More information about the tournament can be found at: compton.k12.ca.us/esports.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • classroom scene with students gathered around a laptop showing a virtual tour interface

    Discovery Education Announces Spring Lineup of Free Virtual Field Trips

    This Spring, Discovery Education is collaborating with partners such as Warner Bros., DC Comics, National Science Foundation, NBA, and more to present a series of free virtual field trips for K-12 students.

  • glowing padlock shape integrated into a network of interconnected neon-blue lines and digital nodes, set against a soft, blurred geometric background

    3 in 4 Administrators Expect a Security Incident to Impact Their School This Year

    In an annual survey from education identity platform Clever, 74% of administrators admitted that they believe a security incident is likely to impact their school system in the coming year. That's up from 71% who said the same last year.

  • horizontal stack of U.S. dollar bills breaking in half

    ED Abruptly Cancels ESSER Funding Extensions

    The Department of Education has moved to close the door on COVID relief funding for schools, declaring that "extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion."

  • pattern of icons for math and reading, including a pi symbol, calculator, and open book

    HMH Launches Personalized Path Solution

    Adaptive learning company HMH has introduced HMH Personalized Path, a K-8 ELA and math product that combines intervention curriculum, adaptive practice, and assessment for students of all achievement levels.