In partnership with Nintendo and Outright Games, Digital Schoolhouse is looking to drive engagement in primary school students by holding the UK's first national junior esports tournament.
Digital Schoolhouse is a non-profit organisation that aims to help schools introduce pupils aged 8 to 11 years, as well as slightly older students, to the modern world that they are growing up to be a part of.
Firstly by bringing creative computing workshops to primary schools. And additionally, helping with career education for older students.
The Digital Schoolhouse Partnerships
The partnerships with Nintendo and Outright Games are what helps events like these take place. Nintendo holds itself as a family-friendly company in its own right, on top of Outright Games being a publisher for children's games.
Many of the games made by them and consoles, such as the Nintendo Switch, are perfectly geared towards being utilised in Digital Schoolhouse workshops and events.
The UK's First Junoir Esports Tournament
With this tournament, Digital Schoolhouse is looking to build on its successful pilot scheme from 2020. The evaluation report for the pilot event shows promising results as to the direct impact it can have on both the students and teachers involved.
On top of immediate effects for schools, programmes such as these play an important role in other ways. The Digital Schoolhouse workshops and events are growing the awareness of potential career paths students may wish to go down. Highlighting jobs that exist around the games industry and esports that aren't just making or competing in them.
Esports involvement and interest could grow massively in the coming years if this event is a success, allowing new generations of people exposure to esports at a younger age. Potentially, this could lead them to be involved with the industry throughout their future thus furthering progress towards esports becoming an established part of UK culture.