WHO WE ARE
The Varsity Esports Foundation is a global non-profit organization established to offer financial assistance to schools and to provide a pipeline for students to reach their potential through esports. We strive to increase literacy around the esports industry’s positive impact on healthy lifestyles, mental health, community, and STEM.
WHY SCHOLASTIC ESPORTS?
97% of US students ages 12-17 play video games according to the PEW Research Center. 50% of students in the US fall in the category of high-poverty or mid-high poverty. These students in low-income areas lack access to programs that foster STEM learning. STEM accredited esports curriculum with esports clubs in High Schools have shown to increase a student’s GPA by 1.7, and their attendance by 10%. Esports clubs are for the kids who do not typically participate in any extracurricular activities.
VIDEO GAMES ARE FOR KIDS AND MAKE YOU LAZY
The average age of a gamer in the US is 31 years old, out of the 227 million players across all ages, with 45% identifying as female. Groundbreaking studies show that time spent playing video games can be good for your well-being. Video games improve memory, sensory-motor skills, gray matter volume, executive function, job-related skills, and show no association with depression.
ALMOST 28 BILLION HOURS OF FREE ONLINE STREAMING WERE VIEWED IN 2020 ON TWITCH, FACEBOOK, AND YOUTUBE.
When your teenager is entertained by watching a famous streamer or “Youtuber” play a video game, they may also be learning how to get better at a game, building community, connecting with others, learning tips about streaming and branding building, or even how to make money themselves by playing. Most parents are watching TV alone of live sports that they may never play or have played before.
5,500+ MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN A PART OF AN SCHOLASTIC ESPORTS PROGRAM OVER THE LAST 9 YEARS.
The two largest scholastic esports organizations in the world: NASEF (North American Scholastic Esports Federation) which is on a mission to provide opportunities for ALL students and HSEL (High School Esports League) which is the largest and longest-operating competitive gaming organization for high school are both serving students and educators. These organizations are leading the scholastic esports community forward.
OVER $20 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
There are hundreds of colleges with esports programs and over $20 million in scholarship money, based on data from NJCAA, ECAC, UEA, NACE, and other collegiate esports organizations. Sadly about $4 – $5 million of those dollars go unused because there are not enough students in the pipeline to recruit. Find opportunities to earn scholarships for your students. With almost all teenagers in the US playing video games, why not get them involved?
SCHOLASTIC ESPORTS GIVE STUDENTS CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
The young women and men who comprise the esports world are more than the gamers. There are a number of different pathways and roles that must be filled for esports to continue to thrive! Use esports and gaming curriculum to support scholastic esports programs to provide a pathway to college and career opportunities.
WHY SHOULD YOU SUPPORT THE VARSITY ESPORTS FOUNDATION?
Reach out to our executive director Bubba Gaeddert with any questions and how you can support students and schools across the globe by giving them access to scholastic esports. You can donate now to support our mission.
