By Joe McAllister / 16 Feb 2024
But esports has gone next level when it comes to introducing students to new career tracks in and out of a gaming industry that today generates more revenue than the NFL, film, music and video streaming industries … combined. Incorporating education around gaming can make students marketable in tech-oriented fields that are becoming increasingly relevant, such as programming, game design, data analytics and information systems.
Gaming as a team sport also builds confidence and breaks down gender barriers. It’s a bridge to learning for students with disabilities or those who know English as a second language (ESL). It’s even shifting the paradigm of college athletics, as more than 240 universities across the nation now officially run a varsity esports program as part of the National Association of Collegiate Esports.
Unfortunately, many schools lack the resources or expertise to create a high-performing esports program, making it a challenge for students — many of whom never participate in traditional extracurricular school activities — to get involved.
We understood just how great this need was when we launched our Insight Esports Makeover Contest last year in partnership with Intel and saw nearly 200 high school and college programs make their case to win $30,000 in new Intel® 13th Gen gaming equipment. Our winners were Catawba Valley Community College (Red Hawk Esports) in Hickory, North Carolina, and Garden State Esports, a New Jersey non-profit league that awarded its makeover to league member Manasquan High School (MHS) in Manasquan. Each was well-deserving, with rapidly growing esports programs, yet sorely in need of a gaming equipment boost.
Thanks to the makeovers, both schools recently opened new and improved gaming labs that we designed after assessing their equipment needs during our campus visits.
Visit Manasquan High School to experience the benefits of their new esports gaming lab, powered by Insight and Intel.
MHS recently held a grand opening of an upgraded esports room that features 20 new MSI Codex R 13 Gen Intel® Core™ i5 gaming desktops and monitors. Before the makeover, MHS esports students largely had to compete from home since the school’s laptops were so dated.
“You couldn’t game on them, they’re not made for gaming,” said Amy Edwards, MHS esports team faculty advisor. “We didn't really have a way for the kids to play, and we lost the students who are in the lower socioeconomic groups (who couldn’t afford to game from home). We also lost our special needs students who really don't have the functional independence to play by themselves but would really love to play with their peers and gain that interaction with their peers.”
MHS competes in Garden State Esports, a non-profit league organization that encompasses 270 school districts across New Jersey. Founded and run by educators statewide, it is the largest scholastic esports league in the country and rapidly growing. The league introduces students to career pathways via a Career and Technical Education program called CODEC, or Career Oriented Disciplines in Esports Curriculum.
The new gaming lab at MHS now sees about 10 percent of the school population taking advantage of the new equipment. Besides gaming, the computers are used by Edwards’ engineering classes to run building design, robotics and 3D modeling software. Other programs for ESL and special needs students help make learning easier.
“I’ve seen firsthand how esports can benefit students socially, developmentally, academically, emotionally and professionally. But success wouldn’t be possible without the right technology infrastructure to support it,” said Edwards. “Beyond our growing esports team, the devices provided by Insight and Intel will enable a considerable portion of our student population to hone their engineering and robotics skillsets in the classroom. We’ve seen students from underrepresented groups, such as girl gamers and those in special needs and ESL programs, feel more included in social learning. The entire MHS community is grateful for the guidance and support of Insight and Intel.”
Join esports influencer Coach Alne as he sees firsthand how the Insight Esports Makeover Contest benefitted Catawba Valley Community College.
As a former math teacher myself, I understand the importance of creating an inclusive opportunity for all students regardless of age, gender, socioeconomic status or ability. Esports are unique in this respect. It’s an activity that appeals to the widest range of students possible, something Catawba has experienced as its esports team attracts new students not only to the team but overall enrollment at the college.
Red Hawk Esports has rapidly grown from a small group of students to 42 players in only a couple of years. They started with just a few computers, but their equipment could no longer handle the power of today’s games. With its $30,000 makeover, the program received 12 MSI Aegis gaming desktops, powered by Intel® Core™ i7 processors, new monitors, and Elgato streaming production equipment. It has enabled the program to field additional teams and create unique appeal for the community college.
“Three years ago, we started our esports program at CVCC with a single Nintendo Switch,” said Cody Dalton, Red Hawk Esports head coach. “These new Intel-powered gaming PCs will not only elevate the quality of our program but also help us grow and continue to impact the lives of students.”
Connor Alne, otherwise known as Coach Alne, the first esports influencer on TikTok, visited the Red Hawk campus after the Makeover: “While many colleges across the country have tons of students who are into gaming, very few have an esports lab for them to find a home. Esports has made a tremendous impact on the students who have joined the Red Hawk program, and Insight’s makeover provides a total equipment refresh that will help them grow and give more opportunities to students.”
Insight provides tailored esports solutions to support educational institutions at every stage of their esports journey. This includes consulting for program startup, cutting-edge technology, specialized knowledge in gaming systems and peripherals, network optimization, audio-visual integration, maintenance services, and network and device security.
Providing schools like Manasquan and Catawba with cutting-edge gaming equipment provides an appealing collaborative setting to explore the technical and computational skills that are critical for advancing careers in STEM.
Snow White, director of education sales strategy at Intel, said: “Esports offers a unique opportunity to gain universal skills like communication, collaboration and problem-solving while having fun at the same time. By participating, students develop these essentials in competitive and engaging environments, preparing them for success in both education and future careers.”
I hope you share a passion for gaming like we do. Not only for the fun it provides but as a chance to develop soft skills and the technical proficiency needed for just about every modern career track. Whether it’s for a future in coding, graphic design or digital marketing, esports pave the way for new practical learning environments. It captures the attention and imagination of students of the post-pandemic classroom in a way that traditional coursework no longer can.
If your program needs help getting going on gaming — or taking your teams to that next level — reach out directly to me and the Insight Public Sector education team. We’ll get you going with the right curriculum for your school’s needs and, of course, the best gaming equipment possible from our great partners like Intel.
Senior Esports Business Development Manager, Insight
Joe McAllister helps K–12 and higher education schools start and grow esports programs. As a former high school math teacher, Joe is passionate about student development and leveraging esports for their social and academic benefits. He has worked with over 500 schools on their esports programs, establishing his reputation as an industry expert.
