New Esports Course at Edmonton Public School

https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/new-esports-program-at-vimy-ridge-coaches-kids-to-compete-online-1.6126581

An interesting read I recently came across was regarding the inception of an esports training program at a public school in Edmonton. This is one of the first programs of its kind in the country. Students lucky enough to nab a spot spend their time in class in pursuit of honing their gaming skills. It’s not all simply gaming. Students in the program spend half their time on field trips, health education, training their general wellness, improving their reflexes, and learning about injury prevention. The teachers that have conceived the program view it as a pathway to jobs in esports or even as a path forward to obtaining an esports scholarship which universities are increasingly starting to offer. Further, beyond the aforementioned skills training, students also receive training for technology-based skills like programming, audio/visual design, and computer engineering. I think it is interesting to see the conception of programs like this that bring esports more into the mainstream while presenting careers in the video game industry as viable options. I think programs like these only serve to grow the appetite and viability of esports in the future.