See It In Action
The room comes alive.
Lunch Program
NBA 2K Tournament
GSE Finals
Jonas Salk Middle School • Old Bridge, NJ
A structured, curriculum-driven esports program where every student — regardless of skill level — has a role, a purpose, and a place.
Library table. Six Chromebooks. An idea.
Dedicated arena. HP Omen PCs. Board-approved curriculum.
Gaming
with a
purpose.
Gaming already has students' attention. The question is what we do with it.
Middle School Technology Innovation: Esports is a structured, standards-aligned elective that uses gaming as a vehicle for learning. Students explore digital citizenship, digital wellness, teamwork, communication, gaming history, esports, technology, leadership, and career pathways before applying what they learn through authentic projects and experiences.
This is not a free-play class. Students learn that esports is much bigger than the player on the screen. Students rotate through six roles — Player, Coach, Content Creator, Shoutcaster, Statistician, and Community Manager — learning that every role contributes to a successful esports team.
Not every student needs to be the best player in the room. Every student needs an opportunity to contribute.
The course culminates in students designing, building, playtesting, and showcasing their own esports experiences — putting the skills they've developed throughout the year into practice.
The goal is simple: use something students already care about to help them discover what they are capable of.
Unit 1
Digital Citizenship
How do we behave online?
Unit 2
Mindful Gaming
How do we work as a team?
Unit 3
History of Gaming
Where did this come from?
Unit 4
Foundations of Esports
How does esports actually work?
Unit 5
Esports Implementation
Build it. Test it. Showcase it.
Students don't have to love traditional school to find a reason to engage in learning. Sometimes we need to start with something they already care about.
Esports gives students opportunities to communicate, lead, create, analyze, problem-solve, and collaborate in an environment that feels authentic to them.
Play
Develop strategy, communication, and competitive skills.
Learn
Explore digital citizenship, gaming history, technology, and esports.
Research
Investigate games, industry, technology, and esports.
Communicate
Coach, shoutcast, present, and collaborate.
Analyze
Track statistics, evaluate performance, and use feedback.
Create
Design tournaments, levels, events, and original experiences.
Showcase
Put their work into practice for an authentic audience.
Every student is assigned a role. Every role has responsibilities before, during, and after each session. Students who have never touched a controller have found their place here.
Player
Competes with focus and intention. Applies strategy, communicates clearly, accepts coaching with an open mind.
Coach
Leads strategy, calls plays, gives feedback that lifts players up. Manages team emotions under pressure.
Content Creator
Captures highlights and key moments. Edits clips and takes photos. Represents the program with pride.
Shoutcaster
Narrates gameplay live, builds energy, interviews players, keeps the audience engaged. Positive energy only.
Statistician
Tracks scores, records outcomes, identifies patterns. Shares data to help — not to criticize.
Community Manager
Monitors tone and energy. Encourages teammates. Sets the standard for everyone in the room.
Respect
How we treat teammates, opponents, equipment, and ourselves.
Effort
How we respond when things become difficult.
Growth
How we learn from mistakes and improve.
These aren't just rules for gameplay. They are expectations for how students work, communicate, lead, and learn throughout the course.
A
Acknowledge
T
Take a Pause
E
Evaluate
A
Act with Intent
M
Move Forward
Across all three grade levels, students design, build, playtest, and showcase an original esports experience.
Students may work with tools such as UEFN, Mario Maker 2, Minecraft, or other teacher-approved platforms. The tool is not the goal. Creation, iteration, teamwork, and execution are.
Lunch Program
NBA 2K Tournament
GSE Finals
Independent studies on scholastic esports programs report measurable outcomes in attendance, social development, and student wellbeing. Findings below are drawn from specific studies, not presented as universal outcomes.
7.34
additional school days reported for esports participants
Moreno Valley Unified School District, 2023
33.5%
lower absence rate vs. non-participants in the same study
Same demographics, same district, 2023
70.8%
of surveyed students said esports helped them make and keep friends
Albuquerque Public Schools survey, 2025
66.5%
of surveyed students reported improved sportsmanship through the program
APS 2025 survey, 212 students
Sources: NASEF, Connected Learning Lab at UC Irvine, Garden State Esports
| Study | Year | Organization | Population | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scholastic esports attendance study | 2023 | Moreno Valley Unified School District | District esports participants vs. non-participants | 7.34 additional school days per year; 33.5% lower absence rate |
| Student wellbeing & friendship survey | 2025 | Albuquerque Public Schools | 212 surveyed students | 70.8% reported esports helped them make and keep friends |
| Sportsmanship outcomes survey | 2025 | Albuquerque Public Schools | 212 surveyed students | 66.5% reported improved sportsmanship |
| Student interviews on belonging | — | NASEF / Connected Learning Lab, UC Irvine | Scholastic esports program participants | Qualitative reports of community and belonging |
| Regained instructional days across GSE schools | — | Garden State Esports | Participating New Jersey schools | Average of 259.5 student days of instruction regained annually |
Figures reflect findings from the specific studies and districts cited, not universal or guaranteed outcomes. Contact for full source links.
I realized they are really good people — they're family.— Student interview, NASEF / Connected Learning Lab, UC Irvine
This photo was taken during a match.
That's not gaming. That's community. That's what this program is actually about.
Whether you're an educator looking to learn more about the curriculum, a partner interested in the program, or someone who just wants to see what a middle school esports class actually looks like — reach out.