Education promotes the integration of eSports in schools

The Department of Education (DE) reached a collaborative agreement with the company YSUG LLC -known as Yo Soy un Gamer- in order to impact students by integrating electronic sports (Esports) with education through a Summer Program and the creation of Training Centers. The joint works seek to incorporate eSports with curricular and extracurricular activities, in addition to providing accessibility to the largest number of the student population interested in the new initiative.

This integration also seeks to achieve greater attendance of young people in schools, improve their grades, develop character and a sense of community among students, while serving as preparation for university or work life.

“Without a doubt, education is dynamic and requires us to incorporate educational strategies that help our students academically, but also that bring them closer to technology and world trends. This Collaborative Agreement will be of great benefit to both students and teachers who are inserted in the programs that we have developed for eSports”, said Eliezer Ramos Parés, Secretary of the DE after clarifying that this Agreement does not provide for any compensation or disbursement of funds by the DE.

The president of YSUG, Francisco López, better known as Hambo, indicated that “a study by Pew Research 2018 establishes that 90 percent of young people between the ages of 13 and 17 participate in electronic games, so it can be the basis for the creation of a league at the school, university and professional levels on the island. Additionally, a well-implemented Esports Program can promote student engagement, college recruitment, and retention by blending online and offline campus experiences, ultimately preparing students for future careers.

DE, for its part, will provide transportation to students interested in participating in the curricular or extracurricular activities that take place during the camp. In addition, it will collaborate in the search for universities to establish Training Centers with state-of-the-art technological equipment and will assist in the coordination of training for teachers interested in the program and will promote student participation.

The other part, YSUG, will prepare and develop the eSport program for the camps, will develop Training Centers in different educational regions, will provide the necessary equipment for the execution of the program and will offer training and certifications to the teachers of the system.